The Dreaming Animal
by GypsyWitchBaby
Summary: SEQUEL TO "THE FERAL" Logan's lost his memory, Stryker's still MIA with a captive Lupa & Victor's been on a 20 year long rampage searching for his stolen mate. What happens when the 3 ferals finally reunite? AU of X1, X2, & Origins, OFC/Victor, Story art on DeviantArt, NOT ABANDONED, ON BREAK!
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

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* * *

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_Lupa - _

_I'm not sure what to say. Guess I should start off by telling you why I'm not with you and instead you're reading some fucking letter. This fucking letter. I got to take care of a few things before we can be together again. See some people, get some shit in order, pick up some stuff. Make us disappear. I'll be gone for now so you'll be safe forever. I got to do this. For you, for us. It's the best way. The only way._

_Might take a while. Maybe a month or so for me to wrap it all up. Could be longer. Jimmy will take care of you, you can trust him. He'll keep you safe til I get there. But if something happens to me, if I don't come back, stick with the Runt and run. Run til you two know Stryker's grandchildren are dead and buried. If something happens to him too, well, Canada's got woods a person could get lost in for years, never seeing another human face. Don't tell Jimmy about it, just in case he gets his ass caught. Always good to have your own emergency backup plan._

_You should know I didn't want to leave you. I didn't want to go. But I had to. You **will** be safe. I **will** come back. We **will** see each other again. I swear it._

_Yours, Always_

_Victor_

_

* * *

_

Victor Creed looked down at the faded and worn letter in his massive clawed hands. He'd read it countless times in the twenty-some years since Lupa had been taken, since he had written it for her. Folded it and refolded it until deep, thick creases formed on the pale paper. In places, it had already begun to tear.

Creed had stopped keeping track of the exact number of years they'd been separated after ten had passed, back in, what was it, '84? Irrational as it was, Victor almost felt that by numbering the years it was supposed to organize his grief. To contain or limit his fury, make the memories of her fade, to make his keening for her wane. But at the same time, he wanted to keep his wounds as gaping, as fresh and still weeping as they had been on the day they were ripped into him. The day he found his black overcoat twisted up in his mate's bed sheets, his letter hidden in the inner breast pocket, her scent saturating the paper and her dried tears blurring the words. Yes, Sabertooth would only let his festering hurts heal when he had Her back in his arms again.

In the first decade after Lupa had been taken, Victor spent endless amounts of money and energy scouring North and South America for Her. Single mindedly, obsessively, almost manically pumping all of his varied contacts for any tidbit of information about a female feral mutant held in captivity by an unnamed General. Employing blackmail and bribery. Breaking into military record storage facilities, hacking computer databases and torturing unwilling informants for any hint of _Her_. His Lupa. His mate. His missing piece. But so far nothing. Not even the barest whiff of a hint nor a whisper of a rumor. During the times he felt like he was close to ripping his own skin off in frustration, Creed took the occasional, odd mercenary job. Signing up for a couple contracts a year to blow off steam.

He'd searched for Stryker as well, but the goddamn Colonel seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth since their previous encounter. And so had Logan. Though maybe five years after the last time he had seen his former commanding officer,Victor did hear through the grapevine Stryker had some kind of a falling out with the US government and military. Turned out his own son was a mutant who according to gossip, had either killed his own mother or driven her to insanity and suicide. And Uncle Sam doesn't like being lied to, even by omission. Plus around the same time there had been the whole Weapon XI fiasco. Creed could have told Stryker Wilson was the worst choice to experiment on. Wade would never follow orders, even dead. Yet he had to admire the government's clever cover story for the incident on his old base, 'nuclear reactor leak' his ass.

Right after high tailing it off of Three Mile Island in, about five years before said 'leak,' Creed went to hit up Erik Lehnsherr, alias Magneto, for some supplies. Rearmed, rested and fed, he'd driven up to Boston in one of Erik's vehicles expecting to find the Runt hiding somewhere in their city, licking his wounds, tail betwixt his legs. He wasn't. Maybe that Adamantium bullet to the head fucked him up more than Sabertooth realized...

Jimmy Runt was added to Victor's growing list of people to find: Lupa (priority number one), the mysterious General (an eagerly anticipated secondary priority), that asshole Stryker (a close third to the superior officer) and now pain in the ass Logan, (trailing behind in distant fourth place).

The second decade apart from Her, Creed spent much the same as the first but focusing his search in Eurasia this time. Though he began taking on more and more assignments from Erik and other nefarious characters for the brief diversions they provided. Serendipitously he built up a fierce reputation as a soulless killing machine in the process. Becoming a legend of epic proportions in the mutant and mercenary worlds. A merciless immortal with a hair trigger temper. An unbeatable beast in a black overcoat. In truth, he had just wanted something to distract himself from the ache, the bitter pain of missing his Lupa and worrying for her. A rest from the savage rage at her captors and his brother and his disgust at his own fuck ups. The intolerable inaction, the impotence lack of _any_ Intel forced upon him. To be able to unleash some of the agonizing emotions choking him was a siren's call to the Sabertooth.

_He didn't keep her safe, didn't protect her like he had sworn to. Couldn't even fucking find her! _Him!_ Victor Fucking Creed! _

Sabertooth had to do something, to think of something besides the Wolf Girl being frightened and hurt and alone, besides Logan's abandonment, besides Stryker hurting his mate, besides failing Her.

The few people that knew the feral, that had grown accustomed to the more than slightly terrifying man-beast's personality over the years and did not stress overmuch about him randomly slitting their throats, (not enough to feel comfortable with calling him friend however), did notice the difference in his behavior.

Before Jimmy went missing under mysterious circumstances, (Creed refused to explain to his associates exactly what happened to his little brother, just snarled that Logan was 'gone' and broke the arms and legs of any man who asked twice – only one did), the Sabertooth had a longer fuse on his temper. He had smirked often and used to speak whenever something popped into his mind, usually with a fang-baring smirk and smug expression. Now with Jimmy gone and Vic searching heaven and earth for some mutant girl, he rarely spoke, _barely_ kept his temper on a leash and only smiled at the dead, the dying and the condemned. Still got the job done, though. If anything, he was even more efficient.

Creed's latest job for Magneto was a kidnapping in northern Canada, possibly in Alaska. The target being some mutant teenager with lethal skin. Big fucking deal, he'd wear some goddamn gloves. The mercenary was supposed to bring her back to Erik in New York so the old man could somehow use the chickie's abilities on Liberty Island next week. Victor didn't care what the Magnet Man was planning to use her for, he never bothered listening to fanatics' schemes and his involvement would end after delivering the girl and receiving his payment.

Though Creed had no need for money Magneto's side jobs always paid well. More importantly, they provided Victor with adequate distraction for unpleasant thoughts and reminiscences. In addition, almost always on these missions Victor could expend some of his pent up anger and frustration with vicious violence and delicious destruction. No one was there check him now. No brother to stop him when he went too far. Usually after one of Mag's trips, the Sabertooth felt more relaxed and refreshed, eager to start his search anew after unchaining his boiling rage. The anxiety and agony dimmed a bit from releasing all that ugly, vicious energy.

This time was far different from normal however. This time it wasn't just some random, meaningless job for another six figure paycheck. This time Victor actually had a stake in the assignment. Because Erik wasn't paying with cold hard cash, but with information. Supposedly the old fart had found something out about the ever elusive and nameless General. Obtained paperwork from the man's headquarters. Intel that could lead to his location. To where that motherfucker was keeping _Her_.

If finding the poison skinned mutant for Erik meant Victor was one step closer to finding his Lupa then _**nothing**_ was going to stop the Sabertooth from getting this girl. This Rogue…

oOo

**A/N: YAY! First chapter is up! [Does a little happy dance] How'd you like the segue into the first X-Men movie? **

**OK, so please review and let me know what ya'll think so far. Now, I'm going to be a little evil and wait until I get 10 reviews before I post the next chapter 'cause I'm channeling Creed again. Sorry about this but he's such a hard ass about reviews! ;-] Plus reviewers get CUPCAKES!**

**Oh and of course I don't own anything that is X-Men, just Lupa and the plot!**

**JUST TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS A SEQUEL, A CONTINUATION OF MY OTHER STORY, ****THE FERAL****,** **(link on profile page).**

**I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU READ ****THE FERAL** **BEFORE CONTINUING ON WITH ****THE DREAMING ANIMAL****. **

**Also, for any new readers, be aware this is the smexy Liev Schrieber's Sabertooth from **_**'Wolverine: Origins,'**_** not the blonde cave man from X1. Ew.**


	2. 1 Three Kinds of Close Encounters

**A/N: Holy crap! You guys sooooo rock! I have the BEST readers! Thanks for all the support! Now for my usual spiel: I own nothing Marvel or Stan Lee does, just Lupa and the plot.**

**bookdreamer17 – My darling PP, yes, it does mean you have to post a new chapter of your story! Mwuahaha! It's all part of my evil plan! ;-]**

**FyreFly – Yeah, I'm kind of interested to see where I go with it myself… ;-]**

**NightStalkerBlade – Oh yes, Victor is awesome! Glad you like the sequel so far!**

**ninjamonkey20 – First off, great name. Secondly, thanks for the review! Thirdly, I hope so too! J/K**

**LiveFreeDieWell – OMFG I LOVED how you phrased Victor's feelings for Lupa, "Sticks to his soul." SOOO perfect! And I love the idea of Lupa maybe having some issues from being in captivity, 20 years is a long time after all…**

**mandya1313 – Shall we continue with our multicultural theme? Aschtublief! (Dutch slang).**

**My Beautiful Ending – CAPS **_**ARE**_ **FUN TO WRITE IN. LOL, j/k. Love the cute face, I'm wore one when I read your review, :3**

**Angela – Thanks for reviewing! Glad you're reading the sequel!**

**Lil Mizz Blondi – I claim no credit, all praise belongs to those plot bunnies. ;-]**

**kungfupandabear – Thanks for reviewing again, you're a doll! Here's your 'more!' XD**

**xPrincetonx – Glad you like the plot! I'm excited to read what you think!**

**QuirkyCullen – My darling girl! Please forgive me for being tardy, you shall have TWO cupcakes! ;-]**

**Dragongirl of the Stars – OK, I LOVE your name. Awesomeness. Great review, had me giggling aloud, hope you like the update!**

**lovingmama23 – No problem babe, thanks for the review! And yeah, don't worry I'll definitely be focusing on Victor and Lupa with only bits of Logan and the X Men. But let me know if I start to lose focus! **

**chrissyissy – Here ya go, kitten! Hope you like it!**

Chapter 1

Three Kinds of Close Encounters

_Number One_

Creed had been so focused on the girl's scent that he had almost missed the other, one he hadn't come across for so goddamn long. One that spoke of ice, mountain springs and snow.

It was Jimmy Runt. Jimmy Runt was driving that piece of shit camper truck. Traveling with his prey. His goddamned little brother. Fuck.

'_Of all the gin joints in all the world'*… Don't got time for all this bullshit, not _now_. Gotta get the girl he's with. Get the poison girl and ya get one step closer ta Lupa. Deal with Jimmy after, he's the one that took off for more 'en 20 years, he'll keep a while longer. Hell, he may even follow ya since he's with this Rogue. Be like killin' two birds with one stone... _

Further up by the side of the road, Victor dropped the felled tree he had been holding upright and watched with glee as Jimmy's Ford POS° slammed right into it. He couldn't help but laugh when the smaller man broke through the windshield and rocketed through the air like a human lawn dart. He waited until Jimmy's back was turned and he was busy talking to the girl before striking. It was just like all those years ago in Pennsylvania, when they had waited for Agent Zero to turn his back while he drugged Lupa. Sabertooth snarled in bitter remembrance. He and the Runt had been working together then, fighting to save Lupa. Things were different now. He was alone.

And it was all Jimmy Runt's fault.

Creed pounced as Logan was distracted by the poison skinned teen. "Long time no see, Jimmy."

Victor didn't wait for a response before throwing another powerful punch. "See yer taste in women's changed. Like 'em younger now, do ya? Never woulda figured ya fer the dirty old man type." He snickered.

The older feral continued to make biting little comments and ask snarky questions that hinted at past events as he attacked his brother.

"Then again, yer too old fer any frail with a pulse. Suppose ya might as well pick one that's _tender...Ripe._"

"Didya pick up Wilson's game while you were AWOL? Ya got a honey in every port, too?"

"Or are ya followin' Dukes' example nowadays? Get any tattoos while ya were gone?"

Logan was infuriated. Victor couldn't remember the last time he'd had this much fun.

After landing one particularly hard blow, Creed smirked at the downed feral. "What's the matter, Jimmy? I remember when ya could take a punch."

"The name's Logan, Wolverine to you, stranger." Jimmy growled as he stood back up as he swore internally, _Whoever this asshole is, I'm gonna kick his ass!_

However fate or destiny or what have you, stepped in, in the form of the X-Men. Sabertooth was forced to make a strategic retreat into the Canadian forest and stewed with unsatisfied rage. Not only did the Runt not know who the fuck his own brother was, now the X-Freaks were stickin' their noses into private business!

_Fuckers interruptin' long overdue family reunions and swoopin' in an' rescuin' what I rightfully got first dibs on kidnapping! Bastards don't know who they're dealin' with. I will get this Rogue. I will get her an' I will get the Intel Erik's got on the General. _

_I will get her._

Even Victor wasn't sure which 'her' he was referring to with that last thought. If he meant Rogue or Lupa. In truth it didn't really matter, in Creed's mind getting the teenager was now equated to the final step before getting Lupa back. Of course it wasn't a logical or reasonable correlation, but nonetheless, there it was.

oOo

_Number Two_

Erik hadn't been pleased about Victor returning to New York empty handed. It meant Mystique had to get involved, infiltrate Xavier's mansion and manipulate some tender teenage emotions. She would have to take advantage of Rogue's self doubt and self loathing to make her flee the safety of Charles' home.

After upping the angst level by giving some 'friendly advice' in the form of a boy Rogue liked, Mystique hadn't been surprised to see the girl at the train station soon after. Victor smirked seeing that his baby brother had gone after the poison girl, _He always had a soft spot fer a damsel in distress…_

The brothers spoke again on the train while Logan's Adamantium skeleton was kept immobile by Magneto's power. The younger hated the elder even more with each cryptic reference he made.

"See, told ya, ya shoulda talked ta me 'fore gettin' that shit put inta ya. Fuckin' knew it was a bad idea from the start."

"Must be a bitch at airport security, huh? Bet ya never thought of that when ya signed up."

"Shoulda trusted me back then, Runt. Shoulda trusted me."

And when Logan learned Erik wasn't after him, but Marie, the Wolverine roared with frustration.

"Still don't know how to protect a lady, huh Jimmy Runt? 'M disappointed in ya, but not surprised."

"Suppose this makes two you've failed, don't it? Oh well, they say third time's the charm."

"I wonder how you'll fuck that one up."

Bundling up the terrified Rogue, Victor and the members of the Brotherhood walked off the train and howling, cursing Logan was thrown through the back of the train car by Magneto's power.

oOo

_Number Three_

Victor had originally planned on taking off as soon as Erik gave him the information he scrounged up on the General. But seeing Jimmy again had been fun. Especially winding him up. Fighting with him had been like old times again, too. Well, maybe not exactly like the old times, but close enough. Creed decided to stick around to see how Magneto's plan went on Liberty Island. See if it worked and made all the world's leaders into mutants, could turn out to be a good ole time.

Delaying one more day wouldn't change anything anyway. The papers Erik had gotten were not as immediately helpful as Victor had hoped. They would take time to sort through and decode. Plus staying meant he'd get another chance to play with Logan.

And did they play.

"What the fuck is your problem with me, bub? What the hell did I ever do to you? Owe you money or something?" Logan growled while the two brothers battled on the Statue of Liberty's oxidized copper skin.

"Don'tcha remember, Runt? Ya were supposed to look after somethin' fer me. Somethin' _very_ important. Ya fucked it up though. Didn't keep her safe. Didn't protect her. They _took her_ and you left! _Fuck!_ **YOU OWE ME EVERYTHING!**" Victor roared in response.

The fight went into a fever pitch now, both men silent except for the occasional snarl, hiss, grunt or curse. Creed was past rational thought, his inner beast rabid at opportunity to battle the man who let Lupa get taken, the man responsible for all of Creed's misery, the one who was trusted and proven unworthy.

It was that fury that caused Victor to make a mistake. He missed a block and Logan got him good in the gut with all six of his shining blades. Creed felt blood pool at his feet and growled in irritation. He launched himself at his brother, not caring for consequences any more, not thinking logically or rationally, only wanting to make Jimmy feel some small measure of the pain Victor himself had lived with over the years. Pain that was Jimmy's fault.

Instead, Creed went over the edge, falling through the empty, cool air for long moments before reaching the black, frigid waters of New York-New Jersey harbor.

oOo

**A/N: How was it? I'm dying to know! Please review cause remember, reviews = fast updates! And cupcakes, don't forget the cupcakes. XD **

**Oh and the bit in X1 where outside the train station Charles 'speaks' to Erik through Sabertooth? Doesn't happen in my version of events, mentally skip ahead to the following mayhem. **

**°A Ford POS is not a real car. POS stands for 'piece of shit,' so the term could be applied to any company, like a Chevy POS or a Honda POS. It's a little joke about the make and model of a crappy car.**

***Quote from the movie **_**Casablanca**_**. Rick says it to Ilsa (his star-crossed love) when after years apart, she suddenly comes into his bar with her husband, desperately needing help. If you haven't seen, you MUST. It's a freaking classic. Vic seems like the kind of guy to appreciate classic movies…,**

**oOo**

**A/N 2.0: Regarding the timeline of my stories, I've blended the events and individual timelines for **_**X-Men Origins: Wolverine,**_** X1, X2 and the comics. I'll lay everything out for you below in chronological order.**

**1820s – Victor Creed and James Howlett, half brothers, born four years apart in Northwestern Canada.**

**1830s – Lupa born somewhere presumably in Eastern Europe, taken in by a Gypsy tribe traveling circus.**

**1861 – 1865 – Brothers fight in the American Civil War.**

**1914 – 1918 – Brothers fight in World War I.**

**1942 – 1945 – Brothers fight in World War II.**

**Sometime Post WWII – Lupa escapes the tribe while somewhere in Northern Europe.**

**1950 – 1953 – Brothers fight in the Korean War.**

**Late 1960s – 1973 – Brothers fight in Vietnam War.**

**1973 – Brothers 'recruited' by Stryker.**

**Early 1974 – Stryker, Agent Zero and Dukes capture Lupa in a Russian forest, transport her to Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania for scientific study.**

**Summer 1974 – Brothers meet and help Lupa escape. Victor goes to Boston, Lupa and Jimmy go to Prince Edward Island.**

**Autumn 1974 – Lupa and Jimmy's location stolen from Victor by Styker's pet telepath; Lupa and Jimmy recaptured. Wolverine volunteers to have Adamantium bonded to bones thanks to Stryker's manipulation; Logan loses his memory to a Adamantium bullet to the brain courtesy of Agent Zero. Lupa taken to unknown location. Victor begins the search for his brother and his mate.**

**1974 Onwards – Victor acts as a mercenary, still searching for Lupa and Jimmy. Logan traveling North America. Lupa's whereabouts unknown.**

**2000 – Victor agrees to do a kidnapping job for Magneto, his target: a teenager named Rogue.**


	3. 2 While Falling

**A/N: OK insert usual please-don't-sue-me-I-make-no-money-with-this spiel here. Thanks to:**

**Kai-Qui – Hey thanks for reviewing, glad you liked the first story and you're giving the sequel a shot! XD**

**ChiyukiLuvs2Glomp** – **LOL, great review! I hope his fall is epic…Lemme know if it is!**

**lovingmama23 – OK, so no Lupa this chapter but she'll be up really soon, I promise!**

**booksmartblonde333 – LOL, I think I almost cackled when I read 'you're killin' me smalls!' And how'd you know the Prof.'s gonna be involved? Shh! Don't tell anyone!**

**chrissyissy – Oh yay! Thanks, I was actually pretty worried about how it would go over and whether or not it'd work. Thanks for reviewing again!**

**ninjamonkey20 – Sooo glad you liked how I condensed everything in the last chappie, I was nervous if it 'worked' or not! Thanks for reviewing!**

**xPrincetonx – Darling Skippy, I think we need to work with Victor on some breathing exercises to cool him down, whatcha think?**

**tulip tea – I'm relieved you liked the letter, it was strangely easy to write but at the same time I wasn't sure if it was any good. Thanks for another review, doll face!**

**bookdreamer17 – Good advice about the dialogue! Thanks for helping a gal out, dear pen pal!**

**mandya1313 – Toda! (Hebrew)**

**QuirkyCullen – Sweet Quirky! Thanks for reading and reviewing! **

**ObscureStranger – Two reviews! I am unworthy! LOL about the man down, BTW, had me giggling like a kid in a candy store.**

**NightStalkerBlade – Thanks for the reminder about Vic's appearance, hope this helps!**

**My Beautiful Ending – LOL, I always love reading your reviews, sugar. Love the new words, I'm totally going to start using 'awesometastic' in my everyday life. ;-) **

**Lil Mizz Blondi – Go plot bunnies! Go plot bunnies! It's your birthday! They totally came through, once again. XD**

**Also thanks to: aislinn aira, animecrazygirl1, booksmartblonde333, chrissyissy, girllyingbythesea, Lil Mizz Blondi, Lizard Demon From Pluto, Mrs Bass-Malfoy, NightStalkerblade, QuirkyCullen, sessys girl forever, Stuffed Piggy, The Wolf With Tears, tulip tea, xPrincetonx, PassionPit, AnimeOtakuBara, Blackrosewitch, ChiyukiLuvs2Glomp, cutxupxangel, Dakota Jane, Fire Black Dragon, Fyrefly, GhostAuthor, Gothicpug, happygirltn, HLBabi, Kai-Qui, Lady-Kiki-Theeevilmastermind, lightning8star, Lil Mizz Blondi, lily1234, lovingmama23, Nana Rae, ninjamoney20, and nixocent for favoriting/alerting!**

Chapter 2

While Falling

Victor was tired, in pain and pissed off. _Very_ pissed off. Only a few hours ago he'd dragged himself out of the New Jersey side of Upper Bay harbor after falling however many fucking stories off Lady Liberty herself. Surprisingly, the falling itself hadn't been too bad. Kinda Zen, almost. Once he got over the initial 'what the fuck?' of actually _falling_, and once he accepted the rapidly approaching, entirely inevitable and unavoidable pain he'd experience upon _landing_, Creed found a moment of serenity, of peace, a brief period in time where it didn't feel like his very soul ached for Lupa.

There was no sound except for his own steady heartbeat and the wind whistling by his ears. There was nothing to see but the black velvet sky above him, stars sparkling down like his mate's eyes. Victor could almost even feel her in his arms, her small, warm body clinging fiercely to his own. Her summertime scent drifting up to tickle his nose and chocolate curls caressing his face.

He also made a very important realization as he fell.

_Well shit. I love her._

Perhaps he should have recognized years earlier that he'd actually fallen in love with his Wolfgirl during their brief time together. Maybe some would think Victor a fool for not knowing his own heart, not seeing it while he fell for her. But the fact was, Victor Fucking Creed had never _been_ in love before. He had absolutely no experience with the romantic type of love, not in almost two centuries of life.

Sabertooth knew familial love from the bond he shared with his brother and the handful of memories he had of his mother from before she died. He also knew the pain of that love being taken away, gone through it twice over. And he understood the concept of love between friends from having seen it displayed between womenfolk and war buddies. Though he himself had never felt such a connection, he recognized it.

But romantic love was a foreign emotion, an abstract concept. One he'd never thought he'd ever have personal knowledge of and honestly had no desire to do so. Creed had seen many people in so called love, and from the outside it had never appeared all that appealing. True, there was nothing quite like the glow of woman in love and who was well loved in return, but oftentimes the sweetness would sour. Curdled by deceit and jealousy. Secrecy. Obsession. Betrayal. Turning love into bitterness. Rage. Resentment. Regret. Hatred. Heartache, heartbreak. Pain.

So yes, it took Victor Creed over 15 years to figure out he'd fallen in love, and to figure it out while falling from the Statue of fucking Liberty.

_Huh._

And then the moment of serenity was over, his Zen was gone. The rapidly approaching and entirely inevitable pain had arrived.

Creed pretty much shattered every bone in his body when he hit that inky water and he snapped the ones that didn't. He tore muscle and tendon and ruptured most of his organs as well. While it didn't take long for said bones and muscles and tendons and organs to knit themselves back together (about four hours which he spent floating aimlessly in the polluted waters of New York-New Jersey harbor, staring up at the sky), the actual healing hurt like a sonuvabitch. Left him feeling stiff and sore, achy too.

So now finally back at his safe house in Jersey City, Victor was tired, in pain and pissed off. _Very_ pissed off.

He was pissed at the Runt for not remembering their shared past and blood. He was pissed at the X-Men for showing up again to fuck with his fun. Pissed at Magnet Man for coming up with the whole goddamn plan and pissed at Rogue for not being easier to kidnap. Mostly though, Victor was pissed at himself. He'd let his anger cloud his judgment and fell off the goddamn Statue of Liberty because of it. _And_ he'd basically lost a fight to his asshole little brother!

Creed raged at himself, _Fuckin' rookie mistake. So goddamn stupid. Ya had him. Ya had him and ya practically handed him the win on a silver fuckin' platter! A technical win, but still a win. Ya know better than ta let yer rage dictate yer actions on the battlefield! _

The Sabertooth paced the creaky wooden floor berating himself, rerunning the fight over and over again in his mind, repeatedly highlighting and pointing out his own mistakes with a sardonic wit. Victor ran his yellow claw tipped hands through short black hair. It was maybe a couple inches longer than the last time Lupa saw him, in what was it? Late summer, 1974? His eyes were the same and different all at once. They were still the lake blue as back then, but there was now an arctic edge to them, like a thin layer of ice frozen over.

Some days his gaze would turn hollow and empty, becoming void of all life and emotion. Victor usually looked like that after a night spent dreaming of his Lupa scared, of her alone and in pain. Of her dying. Of her dead. He'd once dreamt of her locked in a giant, golden bird cage, sitting on a swing, singing sadly hopeful songs. Her eyes didn't see him as he stood before her, they looked straight through him.

People found him most terrifying when he wore his dead eyes.

The male feral hadn't bothered to find out if Erik's master plan worked after crawling out of the harbor. Since there wasn't any rioting in the streets he figured the goody two shoes X-Men foiled the Brotherhood's scheme. Again. He didn't really care either way. His only desire right now was to sort through the documents Magneto had given him. The ones that supposedly related to that bastard General. Ones that could possibly lead to Lupa. Victor viciously clamped down on the hope rising inside of him, he'd been disappointed and let down so many times before with bad tips and dead ends.

Done berating himself, the Sabertooth considered Erik's payment for the kidnapping job. The promised Intel rested patiently inside a standard manila envelope, a stack of papers a quarter of an inch thick. The packet was lying on the Jersey safe house's kitchen counter top where he'd left it earlier that evening. It'd been since he stormed into the place, soaking wet, feeling like shit and reeking of low tide. That had been two hours ago. Victor couldn't seem to bring himself to open it up now that he was done ranting and just start reading. But then again, he couldn't _not _read it and go to bed, wait till morning. He'd never be able to sleep, imagining all the secrets it could hold while waiting for him in the never used kitchen.

Finally, thoroughly sick of himself acting like a goddamn pussy, Creed used his nails to tear open the envelope and then began to read. Three hours passed without any helpful information. Most the papers were random bits of useless bureaucratic bullshit like a military base's monthly kitchen inventory, vague handwritten memos about unspecified medical research (matters the reader was presumed to already know about) and standard base resupply requests. He suspected much of the handwritten stuff was in code. Obviously this was absolutely everything and anything Erik found that had any kind of a connection at all to this enigmatic General, his location or headquarters.

And suddenly there it was, the break through. A name: General Tcejorp.

He was referenced in a handwritten note, this one addressed to 'Dr. C.' and signed 'Col. S.' It was dated October 4th, 1974 and stated a General Tcejorp would be arriving at the new northern base the following Monday and was to be considered top priority, a VIP. The odd thing was that at the end, it included a reminder about soundproofing the General's quarters, yet no reason was given.

But finally Victor had something to go on! A real goddamn lead! Now that he had a name he should be able to get some background on the guy, find out what his reputation was and get an idea of what could be happening to his mate. And maybe the other documents Erik scrounged up could prove to be useful somehow as well. Perhaps he could use them to trace Tcejorp's location.

Very slowly Sabertooth's lips began to curl upwards into something that mocked a smile. He extended his claws a few inches and let his fangs rest on his lower lip. Things were looking up…

oOo

**A/N: OK, so I know Lupa still hasn't made an appearance but I swear she really will soon! Really soon! Hope this chapter was enjoyable, please don't forget to review with any ideas, suggestions, comments etc. Remember, reviews = fast updates! **


	4. 3 Dead Eyes and Red Dots

**A/N: Of **_**course**_ **I don't own anything X-Men related! Duh.**

**OK, so I just want to make clear that I'm using Liev Schreiber from "Wolverine: Origins" as my Victor Creed! Soooo yummy. XD**

**ninjamonkey20 – LOL, I squeal over Victor too, glad to know I'm not alone in that. ;-)**

**My Beautiful Ending – Thanks for pointing out the typo, I totally overlooked it. And as to coming up with the General's name, just wait and see m'dear…**

**xPrincetonx – I'll schedule our first group anger management appointment soon, he might not go if we don't go too.**

**mandya1313 – Faleminderit! (Albanian)**

**Kai-Qui – Oooh! I love long review! I'm not sure about brining Logan's memories back, what do you think? And yeah, I have no idea about the actual number of years between 'Origins' and X1, I'm trying to be pretty vague. But good catch!**

**Sabeslover98 – Love the name! Here's your update, hope you like it. Thanks for such a great review!**

**NightStalkerBlade – I'm using smexy Liev Schreiber from 'Origins' as my Victor, he had like dark brown/black hair. I didn't really like the blonde mountain man from X1 so I'm ignoring him. And where's my update? I can't take the waiting much longer! ;-)**

**QuirkyCullen – Yeah, I'm not sure how I'm gonna explain the amnesia, Logan doesn't know, Victor didn't see it and Lupa wasn't there. Stryker will have to spill the beans I guess…Hope you like the new chappie, babe!**

**booksmartblonde333 – hehe, nope puddy tats don't like water at all. Hehe.**

**Sage – Isn't Zen such a great word/concept? I love Zen.**

**bookdreamer17 – I get a little giddy when I see you mention me in your story so I guess we're even? ;-) Loved the Victor Creed/Logan video on youtube, great suggestion!**

**Dragongirl of the Stars – LOL, loved your review, I giggled the whole time reading it! And yeah, I'm a total Rogan shipper too, but maybe I could find him a mate… **

**Anonymous – Glad you liked the falling and falling in love connection, thanks for reviewing!**

**Gem1990 – LOL, thanks for the sweet review! Hope this new chapter lives up to expectations!**

**loving_mama23 – Nope, don't worry, Vic's gonna meet up with her soon and most of the story will be about them actually being together.**

**Black Rose Kalli – Hey thanks for the great compliments, I'm glad my writing's improved! And yeah, I kinda am terrible about cliffhangers…Sorry 'bout that. *bashful look* Hope you like this next chapter too!**

**Obscure Stranger – Hehe, glad you liked the line, it was my favorite too.**

**chrissyissy – Gyah is such a great word, can I borrow that for daily use? I'll give you full credit of course… ;-) Here's your update!**

**Porcelain Destiny – LOL, holy crap I loved your review. I'll try to update quickly to avoid any more near-death experiences. ;-) Thanks for reviewing!**

**Also thanks to Spread A Little Happiness, sakizar, Black Rose Kalli, ImaBiteChu, Porcelain Destiny, kamecho, gem1990, JEM-99** **and sessys girl forever** **for favoriting/alerting! All ya'll are cooler than penguiniscles (penguin popsicles).**

Chapter 3

Dead Eyes and Red Dots

It had been almost five months since Victor first read the Intel Magneto paid him with. Five months since Erik had been arrested and became the boy in the plastic prison bubble. And it had been three hours since Creed been informed that General Tcejorp wasn't a real person.

Two days ago, Victor had gotten a call on his cell from a high placed contact of his in US Military Intelligence. The guy owed Creed big and was eager to pay off his debt, so when he discovered some classified documents on feral experimentation, well, he'd immediately gotten in touch with Victor. The man knew about the Sabertooth's ever faithful search for a specific female canine feral.

The two men met in a small public library, the contact visibly nervous, Creed coolly aloof. "Whatcha got fer me, Harris?" Victor asked when they sat down at a table in the deserted non-fiction section.

"I, I found some documents I thought you might want. They seem important," Lieutenant Colonel Harris offered hesitantly. He was a middle aged paper pusher with absolutely no experience in field work. He was entirely out of his depth with Creed and he knew it.

"Really now? And do ya think these documents will be 'nuff settle yer debt ta me? Are they worth the price of revenge? I would say _justice,_ but ya did ask me to make them suffer a bit 'fore the end, didn't cha?" Victor paused and leveled his hardened gaze at the uncomfortable human standing before him. He smiled mockingly, baring his twin white fangs just to smell some more of that delicious fear leaking from Harris.

"Are they worth what I did fer ya? Killin' yer daughter's rapists?"

"I-I don't know. I just, I thought you should see them, I think they might help you find the girl you've been looking for," the career military man replied. But the Lt. Colonel knew that if even someday the Sabertooth told him the debt was clear, he'd always feel he owed the mutant more. After all, his eldest daughter now felt safe enough to sleep again, knowing those savages were dead.

"What. Did. You. Say?" The feral hissed, recalling the other man out of his musings and back into the current situation.

Lt. Col. Harris quickly opened a plain black folder, pulled out a sheet of paper and read from it, "General Tcejorp. Does that name mean anything to you?"

The male feral audibly growled. "Don't fuck around, what do ya have on him? Who is he?" Victor barked, the Sabertooth was fighting to break free and beat the Intel out of Harris if it would make him talk faster. Creed only _just_ had control over his inner beast.

The Lt. Colonel paled and recoiled slightly, goose bumps forming on his skin from the deep rumbling growl. "Ah, well, that's just it. He's not anybody. The name 'General Tcejorp' is a kind of code, a deceptively simple code. Very basic, really." Harris cleared his throat before elaborating.

"Tcejorp is 'project' spelled backwards. And 'General' isn't a reference to rank, it's a combination of the words 'gene' and 'feral.' _Project Feral Gene_. They, ah, they had a feral, a female feral in custody, they had her for years, for as long as I've been in uniform. She's General Tcejorp."

"Who's 'they?'" Creed whispered, head spinning.

_There never was a general? It was just the fuckin' name they made up fer their goddamn science project on my Lupa? A title fer their fuckin' experiment? A motha fuckin' codename?_

Oblivious to Victor's internal ravings, Harris answered meekly, "A group of scientists under military control, government sponsored and classified top level, based in a lab in northern Canada. The project was actually started up by a General though, General Lexter. He died when the program was a few years old, and then a Colonel took over, ah…" Here the man briefly paused as he skimmed the page he held.

Creed tensed even further, though he hadn't actually thought that be to possible. His muscles were taunt almost to the point of shaking. Still, Victor maintained control over his inner animal.

"Ah, yes, a Colonel Stryker. But something happened in '79 on a different base the Colonel also ran, something involving a _Deadpool_, whatever that is, and Stryker got black listed, the group was disbanded." Harris trailed off, he was becoming unnerved by the blank look on Creed's face, his eyes almost seemed…_dead_.

"What happened to her, the feral?"

"Ah, it says she went missing after the Deadpool incident, presumed to be in Stryker's possession, or, ah, dead." The Lt. Colonel could feel cold sweat dripping down his neck. Perhaps he should have just dropped the documents off and left, let Creed read them instead of verbally summarizing himself. Now that Harris stopped to think about it, this was the last man he would ever want to bare bad news to.

"He wouldn't of killed her. She's too valuable, he'd have kept her alive, keep testing her…" Victor was muttering only barely loud enough for Harris to hear, though luckily the human realized Creed wasn't speaking to him, the feral was talking to himself.

"She's alive…" Victor abruptly stood, snatched the folder off the wooden table and grabbed paper Harris held in his hand. He looked at the startled man before speaking in his normal husking voice.

"We're even, Harris."

And then he was gone.

oOo

**Westchester, New York, Xavier's Institute for Gifted Children**

Professor Charles Xavier was inside his and his estranged comrade Erik Lehnsherr's creation, Cerebro. He had recently begun testing to see if it were possible to somehow emotionally connect to another mutant while using the machine. So far he'd had limited success, only gaining a brief impression of what the far away red dots, other mutants, were feeling: Sad. Happy. Mad.

But today the Professor stumbled upon one red dot that blazed with feelings. There was aching loneliness, deep anger, terrible fear and immense pain coming from this person all at once. It was staggering.

After Charles established a connection with the mutant, he tried to keep it for as long as possible, attempting to glean as much information as he could. She was female, in fear for her life and being hurt-that was all he could get before exhausting himself and breaking the link.

Disconnecting from Cerebro, the Professor exited the spherical room and smiled wearily up at the waiting Jean Gray, "Assemble the X-Men for me please Jean, I think I've just discovered our next mission."

oOo

**A/N: Next chapter will have Lupa! Please review and let me know what you think!**


	5. 4 Waiting Ending

**A/N: As everyone knows, I own nothing but Lupa and the plot! Thanks to:**

**ChiyukiLuvs2Glomp** **- So glad you like the story, hope you keep reading!**

**sessys girl forever – Thanks for reading and reviewing, chica!**

**booksmartblonde333 – Yep, our boy Vic's got a big of an anger management issue…**

**xPrincetonx – The whole General Tcejorp just kinda popped into my head, I'm not too sure where it came from…When in doubt, credit the plot bunnies!**

**mandya1313 – Komapsumnida! (Korean)**

**Kai-Qui – I loved watching the X-Men cartoons growing up too, Wolverine, Rogue and Gambit were my faves. Thanks for the advice and the review, it was great!**

**NightStalkerBlade – Yay! You updated! And you updated TWO stories! Huzzah!**

**My Beautiful Ending – Darling girl, so glad you liked the story behind the name of the general, I was worried it was corny!**

**Porcelain Destiny – CLEAR! *shocks with defibrillator* Hope the update wasn't too late to save you! ;-) Really happy you're enjoying the story!**

**lovingmama23 – Here's Lupa! Dun, Dun, DUNNNNN! **

**ninjamonkey20 – This chappie's longer just for you! And you're right about who finds Lupa first, BTW… ;-)**

**tulip tea – Sweet Tulip, fear not, all shall be revealed in time!**

**chrissyissy – LOL, great review, made me laugh! Glad you liked the last update!**

**Black Rose Kalli – Thanks pointing out the spelling error, I totally missed it! Hope you like this new chapter!**

**QuirkyCullen – Three words: I love you! LOL, great review.**

**bookdreamer17 – Don't even tease me about you not being able to update for worry over my story! I can barely stand waiting for your updates as it is, I'm so worried about Kate! LOL, j/k. Thanks again for all your wonderful advice and help, truly I'd be dead in the water without it!**

**Obscure Stranger – Here's your Lupa time! Thanks for another wonderful review, doll face!**

**queenbrooklyn67 – Everyone's so eager to see Lupa appear, I hope I don't disappoint! I'm wicked glad you liked the last chapter, hope this one is up to snuff! XD**

**Also thanks to My Beautiful Ending, Spread A Little Happiness, Jamberine, Kvaes Varetnai, CL 9 3 11 0 9 5 and Sesshoumaru-LiL-Wolfe** **for favoriting/alerting!**

Chapter 4

Waiting Ending

Lupa was tired. She was tired of the pain, she was tired of the loneliness, tired of the silence, tired of waiting, tired of being tired. She didn't know how long she had been held prisoner as there was no way to tell the time of the day or even of the year in her cell. No clocks, watches, calendars or windows. Just four blank walls, a cold floor and a white ceiling. And like it had been since she and Jimmy Runt were ambushed, no one spoke to her or spoke aloud whilst in her presence. She had not heard the sound of another human voice for _so_ _long_. Besides Victor and Jimmy, it was what she missed the most, the rising and falling cadence of the spoken word.

The female feral usually spent her time in captivity occupying herself with three things. The first was waiting: she waited for her mate, she waited for rescue, she waited for Jimmy Runt. She waited for pain and she waited for relief from pain. She waited for good food and clean water. Warm clothes and a soft bed. She waited for the time she could feel sunlight upon her cheeks and breathe fresh air again. The feel of welcome physical contact, a kind voice. And she waited for an ending to this tortuous existence, preferably through liberation, though death was increasingly becoming an attractive and acceptable way out.

Her second way to pass the time was to reflect upon her past. Lupa remembered how after being tranq'd and stolen away from Prince Edward Island, she had woken up in a cell similar to the one she was in now. Except there, only three of her walls had been blank cement, the forth wall had held a four by eight foot long Plexiglas window several inches thick. On the other side of the window there had been an observation room generally occupied by one or more scientists, men she dubbed Watchers.

Occasionally there had been new faces, visiting VIPs apparently on a kind of grand tour. Those men were always ushered into the Watcher's lair and then given a long speech as the scientists gestured toward her. Always following the lecture was a question and answer period where upon hearing the answers to their queries regarding the Wolf Girl, the VIPs would smile beatifically and flush with excitement.

Lupa had called those men 10 Cent Ticketers because it was the nickname the Roma had bestowed upon rich circus visitors who paid for private tours. Admittedly, that had been back when 10 cents was worth something. When she'd finally runaway, a private tour cost two American dollars, or the equivalent in local currency (but not deutschmarks, they were worthless at the time). The Romani had still called their affluent patrons 10 Cent Ticketers though.

That first place, that first prison cell after P.E. Island had been run by a man high up in the military – it was one of the few things Lupa knew for certain. He had been the first thing she'd seen when she had woken up. Someone had placed her body running parallel to the window, only inches away from the plastic presumably so he could observe her reaction upon gaining consciousness close up.

And he had been close. Close enough for her to admire all the colorful, beribboned medals adorning his chest. To be able to count the four stars resting atop each of his shoulders and the few white hairs adorning his full brown beard. He'd looked to be in his sixties, was balding and short with a barrel chest. From the way everyone in the room deferred to him each time she had seen him (and the number of people trailing behind him like ducklings) he was obviously In Charge.

At the beginning of Lupa's time there, the men didn't take her out of the room, didn't experiment on her and didn't speak to her. Just watched her. She worked through the entire gauntlet of emotions while getting used to it, learning to cope. Alternately incredibly bored, murderously angry, silent and numb or miserably depressed. The Wolf Girl screamed at the men, raged at them, shouted out questions, threats, curses and demands. She cried in front of them (both while attempting to draw pity, as well as during unintentional breakdowns), tried to reason with them, ignored them, glared at them, but never did she beg them.

She would have if the men showed any indication it would work, but nothing else she tried did so she didn't' waste her breath or her pride pleading and simpering. The Watchers just sat there as always, staring at her, taking notes, reading from files or sipping coffee. They would sometimes speak to one another, but even with Lupa's enhanced hearing she could not hear them, the plastic barrier was too thick.

What the female feral assumed to be several months passed and the Watchers stopped exclusively watching: they began their experimentation on her body. The tests were the same or similar to the ones done on Three Mile Island, where she'd met Dukes. The White Coats here checked to see how fast she could heal, what she could survive and how high her pain threshold was. They even surprised her with a few tests never before performed on her. It turned out, rather than regrowing a severed limb or digit, Lupa's healing factor would allow the amputated body part to reattach itself if it was simply stitched back on soon enough. Muscle, skin and bone would grow and reconnect the separated bits in less than a day, no surgery required. That was just one piece of knowledge they wrung from Lupa's body.

After months of medical torture, they went back to observing her. Lupa went back to remembering and waiting. This brutal cycle of observation chased by torture continued for probably two years before the Man With Medals stopped visiting. Then there was someone new in charge, but he wasn't new to Lupa.

It was Stryker, the brothers' old boss from the island military base. His arrival and presence there didn't exactly alter Lupa's routine, it merely amplified the already painful pattern of her existence. The experimentation increased and surveillance periods shortened. The female feral liked him even less than the other. Like his predecessor, Stryker didn't speak to her, but he did smile at her a lot.

Then one day, perhaps after a few years, something happened. Something Bad. There was a thunderous noise and some kind of explosion which shook the entire compound. Lights had flickered on and off and Watchers flew into a panic before running from their post, abandoning Lupa. She could see red alarm lights flashing in the observation room, perhaps there were other mutant prisoners being held at the compound, was this an escape attempt? A rescue attempt? Or was this an attack? If it was, she wondered if the aggressors would be any better than her current captors.

Suddenly one of the men that always followed Stryker around burst into her cell and fired off three tranquilizer darts at the shocked Wolf Girl. She was unconscious before her body hit the floor. The Colonel's lackey snatched her up and spirited her away from the unfolding chaos on his boss's orders.

oOo

The next time she opened her eyes, Lupa wondered if she would ever become inured to the experience of awakening from a drugged stupor only to find herself imprisoned in a new location. Though to date, that happened to be the last time. She currently sat in the same bleak cell with the same four cement walls.

No one experimented on her here, there were no scientists or soldiers, no other prisoners as far as she could tell. Nowadays she only saw two faces, Stryker and the same errand boy who'd knocked her out after the explosion years ago. He was older now, though if anything only more uncaring of her suffering. Stryker rarely came to see her now; he seemed to have run out of things to do to her, with her. Lupa's keeper was only a slightly more frequent visitor than the Colonel. He fed her a couple times a week and filled her water trough every other feeding. He didn't speak to her either. She only had her own voice and mind for companionship.

Back on Three Mile Island, Lupa spent much of her time inside herself, hiding in her imagination with Victor, it was her third method to pass the time. She'd never fully perfected the talent of mental escape during torture (pain always won out in the end), but she was very good at it. And it was during one of her imaginary escapes that her opportunity for rescue arrived.

A red beam of light shattered away the metal door to her jail cell and three people entered the room. There was a man with brown hair wearing strange goggles, a stunning white haired, dark skinned woman and second taller, paler woman with auburn locks. Lupa crouched in one corner of her room and growled at the intruders, trying to appear capable of protecting herself. The people wore matching black leather uniforms and stared at her emaciated form dumbfounded.

"It's alright, we're not here to hurt you," the smaller woman was the first to regain her composure and gently speak to the frightened feral, though she did not yet approach her.

"My name is Ororo, this is Jean and Scott. We're going to get you out of here, bring you somewhere safe, alright?" Storm needn't have bothered asking though, because as soon as Lupa heard the weather witch's voice she went into shock. After waiting for so many years to hear another person speak, waiting for rescue, it all had been too much for the weakened mutant.

Dr. Jean Gray recognized the tell tale signs and spoke quickly to her teammates, "She's gone into shock, we've got to get her out of her now. We're the only ones in the building, but there may be a silent alarm. Scott can you carry her?"

Cyclops moved forward and gently lifted the catatonic female up from her messy straw bed. Scott Summers was shocked at the deplorable conditions this woman was being held in. The cold cement room was only adorned with a metal toilet, a large red bucket containing dirty water and the hay bed.

_The poor girl doesn't even have any food, let alone a single blanket!_ He thought to himself.

His fiancée Jean was inclined to agree with him as she caught an impression of his thoughts, the telepath could tell Storm felt the same way too.

_The Professor had been right when he decided this required the X-Men, she needs our help_, Jean contemplated. _She is starving, filthy and who knows how long she's been here or how hurt she is._

Storm led the little group through the compound's hallways and corridors. She was followed by Scott carrying Lupa and behind them an ever watchful Jean. While it appeared the building was abandoned, all three were thankful that they didn't run into anyone on their flight. It seemed like no one came here except to feed the prisoner.

Finally the four mutants found the exit and made it outside into the night and the waiting Blackbird jet. It was time to bring the female feral to Xavier's mansion, it was time for Lupa to stop waiting.

oOo

**A/N: Please review, I'm a little nervous about this chapter, let me know what you think! Remember: Reviews = Cupcakes + Fast Updates! ;-)**


	6. 5 Awakening

**A/N: Sorry for the delay everyone, RL got in the way and I've picked up another nasty cold. Forgive me for not doing shout outs this chapter to all my WONDERFUL reviewers, I promise I'll do them next update, I'm just too damn tired right now. I however would like to dedicate this chapter to my friend QuirkyCullen, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABE! Hope you have a fan-freaking-tastic day!**

Chapter 5

Awakening

The female feral had been sleeping for three days in Xavier's med lab. Dr. Jean Gray theorized it was a combination of exhaustion, malnutrition, medication and the morphine drip that was keeping the young woman asleep for longer than she had expected. No one knew how long the young woman had been kept in that cold underground room, if it had been weeks, months or god forbid, years. Now that her body was finally being given the opportunity to heal here in the mansion, it took full advantage. The side effect however, was that all the X-Men were on pins and needles waiting for the mystery woman to wake up. Everyone was intensely curious to hear her story, even Xavier himself.

It wasn't until the fourth morning that the patient awoke. Jean was reading over her charts when suddenly the heart monitor started shrieking out a warning. The young woman was awake and her heart rate was skyrocketing to dangerous levels. Jean quickly looked over and caught the silver gaze of the terrified mutant. They stared at each other for a long moment, one woman frozen in panic, the other frozen in surprise.

Without warning the feral ripped out all the tubes and wires attached to or inserted inside her body, and leapt off the bed straight into the corner farthest from Dr. Gray. She crouched there, her back to the wall, and was growling, it was the same position she had taken when the X-Men found her.

Surprisingly, Jean couldn't get a reading from the feral's mind, there seemed to be some kind of block or barrier preventing her. Perhaps the Professor would have better luck. Dr. Gray had to settle for a more traditional method of calming her patient, with soft, gentle words. "You're safe here. No one will hurt you. My name is Jean, Doctor Jean Gray. How are you feeling?" She patiently asked the still growling female.

The feral mutant made no motion that indicated she did or didn't understand the good doctor; she just kept a steady rumble emanating from inside her chest. Jean backed up a few feet and sat down cross legged on the ground, hoping to reassure the alarmed woman that there was no threat. They sat there for about 10 minutes before the growling died away. Dr. Gray waited a few more moments and spoke again.

"What's your name?"

There was no response.

"Are you in any pain?"

Nothing.

"Would you like something to eat?"

Still nothing.

"Well, tell you what. I'll go to the cafeteria and get us some dinner. If you aren't hungry, you could keep me company while I eat. How's that sound?"

Silence.

"Alright. If you want, you could get back into bed, it's more comfortable than the floor. No? OK, I'm going to stand up now and I'll be back in just a few minutes with food. Are you sure I can't bring anything in particular for you?"

No response.

Jean nodded her head and slowly got up from the ground, she smiled at the young woman who remained huddled in the corner. "I'll be right back with the food."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

It had been four days since the feral first opened her silver eyes and she still hadn't spoken a word or made any attempt to communicate, whether through the written word, gestures, or even nodding or shaking her head. When she was asked questions she would either look away at a wall or stare directly into the eyes of the speaker, almost a silent challenge. The girl never looked away first.

She wolfed down whatever food was given to her but would flinch and snarl if someone approached too close while she ate, as if she was afraid they were trying to take her meal away. She also slept underneath the bed inside of on it. She would sit and eat on the mattress during the day, but always crawled beneath the medical cot at night, a blanket pulled tight around her thin shoulders. No one was able to touch her either, she'd practically bite off the hand of anyone who tried.

Out of the X-Men, Jean and Storm had the best relationship with the mutant, she seemed most accepting and comfortable with them. Because of that the two women shared the responsibility of caring for her, delivering food, showing her how everything in her en suite bathroom worked and spending time with her. It was obvious that the feral didn't trust them though, it was almost like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Cyclops occasionally visited and was better received by the patient than the Professor. Storm wondered if the wheelchair frightened the feral or if she simply remembered Scott from her rescue and felt less threatened by him because of it.

The two X-Women guessed their charge to be in her early to mid twenties and while seemingly mute, certainly intelligent. Sometimes they wondered if perhaps she did understand them and was simply choosing to remain quiet. Other times they weren't sure she even spoke English. Jean still wasn't able to get a read on the feral's thoughts, nor was the Professor. It was like there was a stone wall surrounding the woman's mind, preventing anyone from peaking inside. Neither telepath knew why, but both had theories. Had she undergone scientific experimentation to make her invulnerable to telepathic scans? Did she have a natural 'immunity,' maybe a kind of inner mental strength? Or had she been trained somehow? They couldn't know and maybe would never know.

On the second day the feral had been awake, Ororo and Jean decided it was time for woman to have a name. They of course had asked her again and again what her name was, but she kept silent, her starry eyes shining with voiceless sorrow and insecurity.

It was Storm who suggested the Arabic name Naja. Jean thought it very appropriate after hearing its meaning: Survivor. So Naja it was.

The new name didn't have much effect upon the recipient however, she still would not speak or communicate. Just ate, slept and listened to the X-Women talk. After Naja had been awake at the mansion for a solid week, Charles decided to call in a favor from Logan. The female feral was not improving at the rate he'd like and the Professor was worried. Storm and Jean told him how she had violent night terrors every night where she jerked and thrashed about, but still made no noise beyond a whimper or two.

Perhaps as a fellow feral the Wolverine could reach Naja somehow, reassure her she was safe here at the Mansion, among friends. Maybe the two ferals would even be able to communicate, on an animal level. In addition, Logan would understand something of how she felt, having once awoken among strangers, confused and afraid.

The last time Logan had checked in with the Professor, he had sounded tired and worn down, running into dead ends left and right. He'd used the cell phone Xavier had given him for emergencies and to keep tabs on his kid Rogue. Charles hated to ask the Wolverine to interrupt and delay his search for his past, but maybe this break would be good for the male feral. He picked up his office phone and dialed.

**A/N: Please, please, please review!!! Reviews = Cupcakes + Updates!**


	7. 6 Strangers Reunited

**A/N: Of course I don't own anything! (Except Lupa, duh.) Thanks to Chapter 4 reviewers:**

**Chiyukiluvs2Glump, mandya1313, NightStalkerBlade, tulip tea, Lil Mizz Blondi, QuirkyCullen, Angela, Obscure Stranger, Lizard Demon From Pluto, ninjamonkey20, queenbrooklyn67, My Beautiful Ending, booksmartblonde333,chrissyissy, bookdreamer17, Black Rose Kalli, xPrincetonx, Kai-Qui, phantomofthemusical, Masked Revolt and Porcelain Destiny for reviewing! Sorry I didn't do individual shout outs last chappie!**

**Chapter 5 Thanks:**

**booksmartblonde333 – Fireworks here we come! Have I told you how much I adore your name? My mom's a book smart blonde too.**

**bookdreamer17 – Thanks for another detailed review, I really appreciate your input! I LOVE my pen pal!**

**chrissyissy – Wait no longer! Here ya go! XD**

**My Beautiful Ending – LOL, I love your reviews, they're always awesome and make me laugh!**

**QuirkyCullen – No problem babe, glad you liked the birthday present. :-D**

**ninjamonkey20 – One chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting coming up! (I added chocolate sprinkles too!)**

**tulip tea – This chappie's more of a set up to the next chapter where more info comes out, don't wanna give it all away too soon! Glad you liked the X-Women/ Lupa-Naja bonding.**

**Black Rose Kalli – OK, so no Victor in this chapter, but I PROMISE he'll be coming up very soon! (I miss his sexiness too.)**

**xPrincetonx – Thanks for the get well soon! I'm glad you like the name Naja, too, I thought it was rather pretty. XD**

**ChiyukiLuvs2Glomp – Hey, cupcakes and updates rhymes. I never noticed before. Cool. Thanks for faithfully reviewing!!!**

**Lil Mizz Blondi – How can I resist the puppy feral eyes? Here's your update, now stop looking at me like that, I'm putty in your paws! LOL**

**sessys girl forever – Here's a longer chapter for you, hope you like it! **

**Obscure Stranger – "Squee!" I like that! Hope this chapter is squee worthy!**

**Kai-Qui – Ooo, you pretty much guessed exactly what I planned! Nice job, doll face! **

**mandya1313 – Mesi! (Creole)**

**ktjinx – Glad the story keeps improving! Hope this one lives up to the past ones!**

**Emberflame – Soooo glad you like the story, makes me all gooey inside! XD Thanks for the wonderful review!**

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Chapter 6

Strangers Reunited

"Naja, there's someone we want you to meet. His name is Logan and he is a friend of ours. He-he's like you, Naja. Can I bring him in?" Jean gently asked the female feral. Silver eyes met the doctor's and blinked once. The telepath couldn't really explain how, but she understood she had been given permission with that blink, though Naja's face remained impassive and blank.

"Storm and I will stay with you while he's here, OK? And if you want him to leave, just let us know." Jean was worried Naja might be afraid of the stranger.

This time the mercury colored eyes seemed to sharpen and not for the first time, Jean wondered what the feral was thinking.

_Unless this man intends to drug me, I have no fear of him. Do not worry for me, Jean. I am not afraid._

And it was true, Lupa had lost most of her fear long ago, not much scared her. After all, what horror hadn't she lived through by now? What hell hadn't she survived? What worse could be done to her? Of the very few things that did terrify Lupa, one was being rendered helpless, incapacitated, pumped full of tranquilizers and her ability to fight back taken away.

Jean stood up from her spot on the foot of Naja's hospital bed and looked down at the feral with concern. She waited a moment to see if her patient would make a last minute protest, then turned her back and walked to the door to admit the waiting Wolverine.

Though Lupa was curious as to why her new…keepers, wanted her to meet this man, she would oblige them. Perhaps she could learn more about these people by doing so, better determine if they were trustworthy or not. So far they seemed to be, but the Wolf Girl's survival instinct was well honed and strong, it screamed at her to be cautious, wary. That was why she hadn't yet spoken to any of them, hadn't made any overt sign she could understand their language. Why she remained on guard and hadn't relaxed fully yet. The Wolf Girl hadn't even given them her name, merely accepted the one they bestowed upon her. It was a pretty name, apt too.

And it was also Lupa's instinct to snap at anyone who approached too near as she ate-a deeply ingrained leftover from decades of starvation. When they tried to touch her it was a force of habit to reject the attempt violently, programmed into her from prolonged abuse. Only someone she trusted would be allowed to, and she only trusted two people.

These were all good reasons, truthful ones as well, as to why she remained on guard, why no one here was permitted to stroke her hair or hold her hand. But also, as Lupa had once hoped Victor's voice would be the first she'd hear after years of deprivation, so now she hoped Victor would be the first person to hold her, feel her skin.

Snapping back into reality, Lupa Naja turned to look at the door when she heard Jean open it. Then a very familiar scent drifted into the room followed by a very familiar man.

Lupa stood up in a daze. _Jimmy Runt. Jimmy Runt is here. Here. Now._

"Jimmy!"

Without another thought in her head, the female feral slammed into her mate's brother and hugged him fiercely. Storm and Jean were standing behind Logan with their mouths open. Not only was Naja smiling and willingly touching someone, she'd actually spoken!

Lupa pulled back a little when she didn't feel Jimmy return the hug, his arms were around her, but he wasn't squeezing back. He looked stunned and a little…perplexed? The two ferals stared into each other's eyes for long seconds. "Jimmy?"

"I know you. How do I know you?" Logan was completely confused and more a little awed. He _knew_ this beautiful woman somehow, but he didn't know _how_ or from where. Flashes of what he assumed to be memories went through his mind: them walking on a beach together, sitting in a garden, in a log cabin, on a plane. Then suddenly random little bits of information started popping up in his head, stuff about…her!

The woman, Naja, withdrew from the Wolverine's embrace and darted her eyes over to the two X-Women, then back to his. Logan got the message.

"Jean, Storm, give me and…Naja a few minutes, 'K?" Neither feral looked away from the other.

Before she could protest, Ororo firmly lead Dr. Gray from the room and shut the door behind them.

"As soon as I came into your room, the second I smelled you, saw your face, I _knew_ I knew you. And now all of a sudden, I know shit about you. Like I know you don't like jelly on your peanut butter sandwiches and you love your tea with sugar and cream. _How do I know you?_" Logan asked with a strain in his voice. He wasn't angry or scared, just confused, a little frustrated and desperate for answers.

Naja took a moment before replying. "You-" Lupa cleared her throat, she was unused to speaking. "You don't remember me?" There was the sound of heartbreak in her tone. She drew back fully and walked back over to sit on her bed.

"No, I'm sorry, I lost my memories a long time ago, over 20 years ago." Logan laughed a little sadly, "You don't look over 25 but I remember you as you are now, as an adult. You a feral too?"

"Yes. I am."

The Wolverine slowly moved closer to Naja, "What did you call me when I came in?"

"I called you by your name. Jimmy."

Logan sat down at the end of the hospital bed, almost close enough to touch Naja. "How-how did you know me?"

"What do you remember?"

"I have no memory of my life before waking up surrounded on all sides by a bunch of fuckin' scientists and soldiers. I don't know if I got family, friends…I didn't even know my name was Jimmy."

"James. James Howlett is your full name. You have," Lupa's breath hitched, "one older brother. And I was your friend."

"Do you know what happened to me? How I lost my memory or why? Do you know where my brother is?" Logan rushed out, not noticing how difficult this was for her. Not seeing her mouth tighten or her breathing stop for long seconds.

"No, I don't know what happened to you. And I-I don't know where he is," the Wolf Girl admitted barely above a whisper. She bowed her head and closed her eyes, letting a curtain of chestnut curls hide her expression of utter agony. She'd been in shock at first, but now reality was setting in.

To Lupa, it seemed as though all was lost, all her hopes and dreams dashed, the world was collapsing into itself. She'd been reunited with a man she considered her brother, someone she had always believed could lead her to Victor, and he didn't know her. It was almost worse than that night on Prince Edward Island. She'd been robbed of her life again. _How will I ever find him now?_

"Naja? What can you tell me about, well, me?" Logan asked hesitantly, he still hadn't noticed that Naja was upset.

Lupa Naja blew out a lungful of air slowly. "You both were born in the 1820s in the Northwest Territories of Canada. You and your brother were very close. You were a good man. A decent and honorable man and a dear friend to me." She smiled sadly, her starry eyes watering.

"What's my brother's name?"

Logan's head snapped over to Naja when he heard her make a strangled sound behind her hair. "You OK, darlin'?"

The Wolf Girl almost let an acidic laugh slip out. No she wasn't OK, and him calling her 'darlin'' only made things worse, brought up more bittersweet memories. "Yes. I'm sorry, I'm fine."

The Wolverine felt like a jackass, he'd never stopped to consider Naja's feelings. Of course she'd be upset that a "dear friend" didn't remember her, plus she was probably still recovering from her stint in that place the X-Men took her from. Scooter said the place she was kept had been a combination of a prison cell and an animal stall. She still looked a little beaten up too, nearly two weeks later. Poor thing was too thin and had something of a haunted look about her. The twin slash marks running along her cheekbones made her look even more vulnerable. Now that he stopped a moment, he realized he could even scent her pain in the air. _Damnit! Could ya be any more of a dick, asshole?_

Logan looked over at the female feral sitting next to him with hunched shoulders. She was staring down at the floor, her chocolate honey curls shielding her face from him completely. "Naw, I'm sorry. You're probably tired. Why don't you rest up and I'll stop by later on. We can talk more then, OK darlin'?"

Naja nodded her head but made no response. He slowly stood up off the bed and, after hesitating for a second, leaned down and pressed a kiss on Naja's forehead. "I'll see you soon, sweetheart."

Lupa stayed silent while Jimmy Runt-no, Logan- left her hospital room. She wouldn't let the tears fall until she heard the door shut.

**A/N: Thanks again to everyone reading the story and special thanks to all my reviewers! Remember, the Cupcakes For Reviews Program is still in full effect! Plus more reviews means faster updates! **


	8. 7 A Brother's Name

**A/N: Hey everyone, sorry for the delay in updating, the plot bunnies are working a little slower than normal. Now remember, I own nada that you recognize as belonging to the X-Men, Marvel and Stan Lee.**

**chryssissy – I hope that was a positive "oh my god!" ;-)**

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Chapter 7

A Brother's Name

When Chuck had called him asking for a favor, this wasn't exactly what Logan had in mind. He figured he'd be beating the tar out of somebody, maybe a few somebodies. Maybe go on a rescue mission, or do some recon, something like that. He never in a million years expected be going on a…mercy visit, if that's what you could call it. When Logan had arrived at the mansion, Xavier explained the situation, there was a traumatized, abused female feral and would the Wolverine meet her? See if he could bring her out of her shell?

Now all of a sudden this wasn't just a favor to the good ole Professor, this was the key to his past. This woman knew him! Knew his brother! On top of that, he remembered her too, well sort of anyway. He wasn't sure if you could count the sporadic glimpses of him and her together as truly remembering. Or if you could count the fact that Logan now knew things about her, random factoids essentially, like she was a lot older than she looked, or that she preferred to go barefoot.

Wolverine walked straight into the Prof's office, Chuck already knew he was coming, why bother knocking? One-Eye, Storm, Jean and Xavier were there with expectant looks on their faces, he could smell the anticipation in the room. They were all bursting with questions and Logan took a moment to enjoy the sensation. When the two telepaths finally gave him exasperated, knowing looks, he spoke. "I know her. Or at least I _knew_ her."

The feral sat on the last remaining chair and continued, "She knew me and…my brother. I have a brother, an older brother. She doesn't know what happened to me or where he is though. And I-I'm not sure how, but I _know_ I know her."

"Could you explain that please, Logan?" Charles asked with his usual serenity.

"As soon as I saw her face, caught her scent, I got some flashes, like bits of old memories. Little scenes playing out in my head. I can remember things about her too now, small stuff like she hates bananas and loves strawberries. I'm pretty sure I remember she isn't a morning person either..." Logan trailed off, a bit of a smile on his rugged face.

The Professor realized the Wolverine was in danger of becoming lost in thought. "What are these new memories of, Logan?"

Logan came back to himself and the situation at hand. It seemed like Charles would be the one asking the questions and the feral couldn't help but be grateful for that. The other X-Men remained respectfully silent.

"They're mostly incomplete, fragments. Like I know she liked it when I told her stories but I can't remember what the stories were about. I can remember us walking on a beach and somehow I just know we used to do that a lot, but I only have that one memory of it."

"It sounds like you may have suffered some kind of brain trauma, Logan. Something severe enough to perhaps rewire your brain; destroy most of your memories or at least limit your access to them. These 'flashes' appear to be remnants of your memories, seeing Naja again must have brought them forth."

Charles paused thoughtfully before continuing, "Smell is often called the sense tied most closely to human memory. It profoundly influences and effects people's ability to recall past events and experiences. With you being a feral, your olfactory sense is tremendously enhanced. I would not be surprised if her scent triggered the memories."

Everyone was silent for a few beats. "So what happens now?" Logan asked, he was getting fidgety and wanted to see Naja again.

The Professor sighed a bit; he'd hoped to speak to the feral about this in private. Still, there was nothing to be done now. "We will continue on as we have been. She still needs time to heal, physically psychologically and emotionally. Perhaps with you here she will feel comfortable enough to start the process. Logan…I'd hoped you would stay for a while, help with her recovery. I know it's quite a bit to ask. We would all understand if you choose to continue on your journey instead."

The Wolverine didn't even have to think about it, "I'll stay here, with Naja."

Ororo turned to Logan, "It does seem that you would learn more from her than going back on the road…Jimmy." The weather witch didn't bother hiding her smirk, in fact she looked forward to seeing the man's man squirm.

"Jimmy?" Cyclops ventured, always eager for any new ammunition to use against the Wolverine in their verbal sparring.

Everyone pretended not to notice the low growl coming from Logan's direction. "James. James Howlett. That's my name."

"Congratulations Mr. Howlett." Xavier smiled broadly, very pleased with the way things were turning out.

Jean spoke for the first time, "Did you happen to ask 'Naja' her real name?" Logan was slightly ashamed that he hadn't, but bristled at the doctor's snarky tone, he didn't understand her hostility.

"No, didn't come up at the time, we were both busy being in shock. Plus she got worn out real quick, figured I'd let her rest up for a while." Wolverine's own voice was defensive.

"I think that was an excellent idea. In fact, why don't we all break for lunch?" Charles once again was playing peacemaker, he could feel the taint of Jean's jealousy and the beginnings of Logan's temper start to stir. "We seem to have gotten the most important things settled, the rest can wait. Wolverine, your room is just as you left it."

"I'll bring her some grub," Logan was eager to talk to Naja again and eager to escape the rapidly enclosing confines of Xavier's office. He didn't like the peeved look Jeanie was throwing him or the satisfied smiles of Ororo and Chuck. Scooter was just looking at his fiancé with a concerned expression. Oh yeah, Logan was definitely happy to get out of dodge.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

When Logan returned to Naja's room he brought a hearty lunch with him, all of her favorites that he could remember. Peanut butter sandwiches, spaghetti with meatballs, green apples and a tall glass of milk. As they ate she explained her life story, living with the gypsies as a side show freak and being captured by Stryker for the first time. He could see her tense at this part of her tale.

"Your brother found me some months after I was taken. You, he and another mutant on the X-Team named Dukes helped me. Dukes choose to stay behind with the team while the three of us escaped." When Naja took a bite of her apple, Logan took the opportunity to ask a question.

"What's his name, my brother?" He was carefully observing the female, she was so small and yet held so many answers for him.

There was a long pause before she answered him, "Victor. His name is Victor."

The female feral wouldn't meet his eyes and Logan could scent pain in the air. This was the second time she'd shied away from speaking about his sibling. The second time Naja's hurt perfumed the atmosphere when asked about his brother. Was the timing a coincidence? Curious, the male feral pushed the female. "Is he a feral too? Is that how he's lived this long?"

Lupa felt a thousand daggers stab through her heart, why did Jimmy Runt have to ask these questions? Why did it have to hurt so much still, after all this time? Yet she knew he deserved honesty and answers-it was a terrible thing to be forcibly stripped of your memory, your past, your_self_.

She managed to choke out a reply, "Yes. He is like us. But before you ask, I do not know where he is or what happened to him. Let me tell you how it was. After the escape we flew to a tiny cabin in Maine, a place you had built when you two were Forest Rangers, after the second Great War." Lupa blew out a shaky breath, this was harder than she thought it would be.

"I was drugged during our escape so I am not clear on what happened exactly. I woke up the next morning and He was gone. You said it was to make sure I was safe, to settle some of your affairs and he'd be back soon. You and I drove up to an island in Canada. It was named for a prince, Prince Edward.

We lived in a cottage by the sea and waited for Victor. But he didn't come back. Instead Stryker's men came in the night and stole us away…I had not see your face again until today."

Agony was freely pouring off of Naja in waves, Logan could smell it and it turned his stomach. He'd been so caught up in the story, in the retelling of his past, the stench didn't register until now. Desperate to change the subject, to distract her, he asked the question Jean had earlier reprimanded him for.

"You never told me before, what's your name, darlin'?"

Naja smiled and the Wolverine felt relief, such a woman should never be unhappy. "You never asked."

Jimmy could see a sparkle of humor in her silver eyes and smiled in return, "Well I'm askin' now."

"Lupa. My name is Lupa…I do like 'Naja' though."

"You got a last name, Lupa?"

"No, the Roma never gave me one." Lupa answered slowly, she'd never considered it before. Now that she thought about it, it saddened her. A last name was important, it labeled the owner as belonging to a family, gave them an identity, a history.

But Lupa belonged to neither a family nor a clan. She had no history. The Wolf Girl liked to think that if Victor had made it to P.E. Island he would've given her his own name to use. Claim her as his own, a Creed. But instead Stryker came. Perhaps if she and Victor ever met up again he would offer it to her…

The idea that Lupa had no second name bothered Logan too, and for the same reasons. "Storm picked it, didn't she?"

Seeing Lupa nod he continued, "Well… if you like Naja so much, you could keep it, use it as your surname."

Lupa understood what he was trying to say, that she could have a family here, they would accept her. That she could take these people for her own if she wanted to. The X-Men could give her the gift of a last name if she chose it.

"Lupa. Lupa Naja. I like it." And the female feral smiled a gentle smile, looking into her male counterpart's eyes. Perhaps she would give these people a chance…

**A/N: Please review and let me know whatcha think!**


	9. 8 Small World

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating, but I really struggled with this chapter. I tried bribing the plot bunnies with carrots and lettuce but they were completely useless! Plus my cousin's getting married next week and we're in full Wedding Mode. Forgive me for not posting individual thank yous, I will next chapter, but I have to start putting together the gift baskets for 150 guests! **

**Truly a HUGE thank you to all my reviewers, I appreciate every comment and piece of advice! You inspire me and encourage me to write more! Special thanks to bookdreamer17 however, she's my lifesaver!**

**Oh and I make no money with this.**

Chapter 8

Small World

"You feel up to maybe meeting with the Professor in the garden? Whatcha think darlin'?" Logan wasn't too keen on the notion himself, he worried that it was too soon for her to leave the protection of the medical wing, but the Professor was all for it. He was even using his 'principal' voice while telepathically speaking to Logan, saying it would be good for Lupa to see more of the mansion if it was to be her home.

"Alright," Lupa Naja responded quietly. She was fairly nervous, mostly at the newness of it all, but would do as her brother's mate asked of her. Victor would want her to.

The two ferals walked together in silence, not running into anyone on their way. Logan was thankful all the students were in afternoon classes, he didn't want Lupa feeling overwhelmed. Glancing over at the woman who knew more about his past than he did, the Wolverine belatedly realized Storm had given the little female some of her old clothes: she was wearing familiar dark jeans and a fluttery white top he recognized. The clothes seemed to suit her and fit well too.

Though two women were of similar size he reflected, they were visually almost polar opposites. Lupa with her creamy skin, dark chestnut curls and sterling silver eyes versus Storm's mocha skin, white locks and brown orbs. And while Ororo was small and fine-boned, Lupa was small but seemed sturdier, more solid, not as…fragile or breakable.

_Sorta like a Thoroughbred versus a Quarter horse*, both beautiful, just different kinds of beauty_, Logan silently mused. He knew better than to voice such opinions aloud however.

They went through one of the mansion's back doors that opened directly into Xavier's favorite garden. He was waiting for the two ferals by a blooming rose bush, admiring the pink flowers and their sweet fragrance. "Ah, hello Naja, Logan. Welcome to my garden," the Professor gracefully smiled at his guests.

"Hey there Chuck. Uh, actually, this here is Lupa, Miss Lupa Naja. Lupa, this is Professor Charles Xavier, he runs the school."

"Hello," Lupa whispered, her silver eyes apprehensive. She was standing very close to Logan, suddenly anxious that maybe this man would be offended she hadn't spoken before seeing Jimmy Runt. For ignoring their questions and staying silent. Would he be angry at her for her behavior, think her ungrateful? Would he maybe be angry at Jimmy Runt too? That could affect Jimmy's position here, in his new pack. No, she couldn't let that happen.

"Thank you very much for saving me, sir, and for permitting me to stay here in your home. I very much appreciate your kindness," she quietly offered.

This was much more than Charles expected from the young woman-Lupa. He had presumed getting her to speak with him would be like pulling teeth. And her form of speech was so formal, from another era almost, he half expected her to curtsey at the end. Just how old was this slip of a girl?

"Thank you my dear, however really it was Ororo, Jean and Scott that saved you. Truly though, it was our pleasure, our reward is seeing you safe. Mutants must look after one another after all. You are welcome to stay here for as long as you'd like, Lupa." This earned Charles a true smile from the female and the tense mood seemed to be broken.

The three mutants wandered the rose garden as they spoke, admiring the garish beauty of the blossoms. Charles asked Lupa if she would be willing to share some of her past with him and the Wolf Girl obliged. She essentially repeated everything she had told the Wolverine earlier, life with the Gypsies, Stryker, living on Prince Edward Island, then her second capture and subsequent captivity in two different locations.

Her accounting to Xavier was much more clinical and precise than with Logan, and this time she did leave out more the personal details, things she preferred to keep between herself and the brothers. She still hadn't spoken of her exact relationship with Victor, preferring to keep that deeply personal information secret until she got to know Jimmy Runt as he was now, as Logan.

She worried that without his memories, he wouldn't understand the intense, decades old bond she shared with his brother. And if _Jimmy _did not understand, how could these other people, these non-ferals, ever hope to? Could anyone besides Victor really understand the desperate _need_ she felt to be with him? The bitter ache she suffered through every day while apart from him? How he owned her? How she owned him?

Best keep this one thing hidden for now.

"Lupa, do you mind me asking how old you are?" Charles ventured after Lupa finished her tale. Logan perked up at that, he was curious too. She looked practically the same now as she did in his fractured memories from 20 years ago. Admittedly she had aged a bit since then, now she looked about 25 instead of 19 or 20.

"I am not sure, Professor. There were no clocks or calendars in my cages," Lupa gently reminded him.

"Of course, forgive me Lupa. I should have instead asked you what the earliest major event you can recall. Something perhaps like a war or a political election."

The female feral was silent for a few minutes, Xavier chafed at the knowledge he couldn't just read her mind like anyone else. Logan was trying to guess what time period she may have been born in, was she a 19th or 20th century kind of gal?

"The older Roma used to speak of times past over campfires some nights, I could sometimes hear them from my enclosure. Just before I escaped, the eldest woman in the tribe spoke of the Year of Revolutions, a year she said where all of Europe was in uprising. I can remember that year very clearly, it was just before I began to heal as I can now.

I can remember how everyone was whispering that Austrians were losing their grip on the empire. There was talk of revolutions in France, the German and Italian states, Wallachia, Poland and Denmark. The world was changing and even a small, wandering Gypsy tribe knew it.

I remember when the Russian Czar and his troops stormed into Budapest, slaughtering anyone and everyone in the streets. One of his men gave me these scars," Lupa remarked offhandedly and gestured towards the matching slashes on her cheeks.

"He said it was so I, and anyone else who saw me, would always remember the might of the House of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov. It is funny, I had never heard of the name before that day, but I can remember it to this one." She laughed a little at the irony.

"1848," Charles gasped. "They call 1848 the Year of Revolutions. I wrote a paper on it in graduate school. Czar Nicholas the First entered Budapest in April of that year to reclaim Hungary for the Hapsburg Empire."

Xavier was stunned, she said her healing ability manifested soon after the assault and assuming her healing developed after puberty, she would have been approximately 12 when cut by the soldiers. This woman was older than he ever imagined!

"I would say you must have been born in the mid 1830s, though admittedly that is only an educated guess. It would also make you almost as old as Logan and his brother."

"Oh. That is…good to know," Lupa responded.

Dates did not have much meaning for her, nor did she really measure time in years. The Wolf Girl mapped her life out according to the major events or changes she lived through and other people's lives. For instance, she knew she spent five generations with the Gypsies and went through two different commanding officers the second time she was captured. For Lupa, a measurable unit of time could be the period between one feeding and the next, or the period between two 'first snowfalls.' Numbers were too cold to define a life by.

"Uh, Professor? I have a favor to ask you," Logan began. He was not eager to ask but knew he needed the help. "I haven't talked to Lupa 'bout this, but I was wonderin' if you would help us try an' track down my brother. We don't have much to go on, but I thought you might have some ideas where to start."

Immediately Lupa's starry eyes lit up and she turned to Xavier, "Oh! Could you do that? Could you really help us find him?"

Logan and Charles were surprised by the female feral's enthusiasm, this was the most life they had seen of out her yet, she was practically skipping. "Well I shall certainly try. What can you tell me about him? Anything at all may help." Charles directed his question primarily towards Lupa.

"Darlin'?" The Wolverine prompted her with an expectant expression. She was the one who remembered, not him.

Lupa faced Charles and essentially blocked out Jimmy Runt's presence, it would make the telling easier without seeing his face. "His name is Victor. He like Logan was born in Canada in the 1820s and served in the military. They have been in many wars. One in America while they were still young, both Great Wars in Europe and two others far away, I think in the Far East…"

Neither feral noticed Xavier had gotten paler the more he listened. "Victor Howlett is his name?"

"…No…His name is Creed, not Howlett. Victor Creed," she corrected. _It is so hard to say his name!_

Lupa was so wrapped up in her grief she missed the spasm of utter shock that crossed the telepath's face when he heard the name Creed. Logan did not see the look of fear and astonishment either; he was instead staring at the Wolf Girl and wondering why he and his brother had different surnames.

"You are sure his name is Victor Creed?" The Professor asked in a serious tone, he stared deep into Lupa's eyes.

"I am sure." She stated firmly, staring right back. Xavier was reminded right then, that he was speaking to his elder.

"Of course, forgive me. What else can you tell me?" Charles remained paler than normal but felt that he was keeping his composure fairly well given this revelation. Sabertooth, Magneto's occasional mercenary and Rogue's kidnapper, was Logan's elder brother!

It did not surprise Xavier that the rogue feral's human name, Victor Creed, was unknown to the Wolverine, not even the authorities were aware of it. Only colleagues and employers were given that privileged information, everyone else asked for Sabertooth. The Professor only knew because of his relationship with Erik Lehnsherr, alias Magneto.

So Lupa Naja spent her afternoon reciting everything she knew about her mate. Things she later realized that she mostly had learned from his brother, rather than Victor himself. He loved Boston and their red socks° (she confessed to the two men that bit confused her), was good at something called the stock market and preferred colder climes. Again she made no mention of the fact he had a mate.

"I will make some phone calls. If Logan and Victor were both in the military I should be able to find some record of that. The beauty of bureaucracy is there's always a paper trail. I also may know...someone who can help us, get us information on your brother's whereabouts. But give me a few days, it will be difficult."

Xavier felt very tired as the two ferals thanked him with eager, ignorant faces. He watched Logan and Lupa go back into the mansion for 'jelly-less peanut butter sandwiches,' thankful they never noticed his feeling of foreboding.

Who would have ever thought the world was so small? And how was he going to approach Erik on the subject of _the_ Sabertooth's current whereabouts…?

**A/N: OK, the next chapter may take longer than usual to post depending on wedding preparations, but I'll try really hard to update ASAP. Review and get a cupcake!!! XD**

***A Thoroughbred horse is generally characterized as tall, long-limbed, lean and built for long distances. A Quarter horse is shorter and more muscular, better suited for sprinting. A Quarter horse could beat a Thoroughbred in a quarter mile long race, but not in a longer one, hence the name 'Quarter' horse. Google them to see the obvious visual differences. **

**° Little joke, the Boston Red Sox are a baseball team. GO SOX!**


	10. 9 Reunions

**Chapter 8 Review Thanks: mandya1313 (gracias!), HelHound, Bre-Wolf666, adrian, QuirkyCullen, Sinario, Masked Revolt, Porcelain Destiny, Vanessa Martin, Kai-Qui, Obscure Stranger, EmberFlame (thanks for the wonderfully detailed review!), xPrincetonx, Black Rose Kalli, Wolfy Pup, Lil Mizz Blondi, AnnaDruvez, booksmartblonde333, tulip tea, kunfupandabear, bookdreamer17, My Beautiful Ending, ninjamoneky20 and chrissyissy!**

**Chapter 9 Review Thanks:**

**Masanya – Here's your update! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Porcelain Destiny – Thanks for another review! Hope this chapter is a bit better than the last! Romance will be arriving very soon!**

**chrissyissy – I'd love to read your story! I'll definitely check it out now that I have time to breathe again. Thanks for another review, hope this speeds things up a bit!**

**Obscure Stranger – Heeeerrrreeee's Victor!**

**WhiteChocolate123 – Hope this chappie doesn't disappoint! It's kind of a set up chapter for the next one.**

**HelHound – First off, LOVE your name. Secondly, thanks for reviewing! Glad you could visualize their expressions, I was hoping it would translate!**

**Kai-Qui – Yay! A fellow horse/baseball/Sabertooth fan! I love you! The Reds are a cool team but I have to say your little sister is now my arch nemesis (just kidding). Damn Yankees and their damn pinstripes! And don't get me started on that traitor Johnny Damon! LOL**

**xPrincetonx – I had a Thoroughbred and a Quarter horse when I was a teenager and have to say I kind of identify with the Quarter horse myself more, but Thoroughs are beautiful! What's your horse's name?**

**Bre-Wolf666 – Hope I wasn't too late and you haven't exploded yet! ;-) Thanks for reviewing!**

**My Beautiful Ending – Here ya go, doll face! Thanks for the review!**

**Bookdreamer17 – Of COURSE I mentioned you! You're my idea-bouncer-offer, practically my beta! And I'm the president of your official fan club. ;-)**

**Fire Black Dragon – YAY Red Sox Nation! I know, people love to underestimate us, I kinda enjoy watching people sputter with surprise when we kick ass all the way to the playoffs.**

**QuirkyCullen – More of Victor's reaction will be in the next chapter, but here's a start for you!**

**ninjamonkey20 – Thanks for the wedding well wishes, I realllllly needed help these past two weeks! Glad the last chappie made you do a happy dance, thanks for reviewing darling!**

**LiveFreeDieWell – Wait no longer, dearest! Victor is here! ;-)**

**Black Rose Kalli – Here ya go, I brought Victor back JUST FOR YOU! ;-) Thanks again for the reviews, they're wonderful to read!**

**booksmartblonde333 – LOL, I totally had the clearest mental image of the Professor's face when he figured out how old she was, glad you enjoyed the image too! **

**Thanks to HelHound, bonnemine2, NightStalkerBlade, Ironhide's Lover, Wolfy Pup, Sinario, Bre-Wolf666, aislinn aira, tygrus-2000, jazzybca, and Mz. MaNgOz for favoriting/alerting!**

**A/N:**

**Sooo sorry for the long delay but the wedding's finally over and I've finally caught up on my much neglected sleep. OK folks, this is the BIG ONE, the chapter where Victor and Lupa are FINALLY reunited, so I expect MUCHO reviews for this. It's a little rough but I wanted to get it out ASAP since you all have been so patient. I'll come back and do some editing in the next couple days before posting chapter 10. Enjoy!**

**A/N 2.0: Re-Edited and extended as promised!**

Chapter 9

Reunions

Charles was staring at the phone resting atop his desk. Next to it lay a black business card with a 10 digit number printed in bold white lettering. There was no name or address, just the phone number. It didn't matter there was no other information though, Xavier knew who the card belonged to. Erik had given it to him years ago, right before they parted ideological ways. Charles had remained staunch in his stance that non-violence was the only way for mutant tolerance and acceptance to come about. Magneto became convinced a war was coming and that it would be better to make the first strike.

In hindsight, Xavier realized Erik had foreseen their inevitable split and gave him the card for the future, for a time when they weren't working side by side. He remembered how the metal manipulator had pulled him aside one day and pressed the card into his hand. Erik had said should he ever need something, should he ever fall into deep trouble, to call that number. The serious manner in which the words were spoken had Charles paying full attention. He understood it was a kind of last resort contact, and in the years since, he had never called the number.

Yet the Professor knew that despite the fact they were now adversaries, his long ago friend Erik would still help him if it were in his power, if Charles really needed it and if it did not conflict with Magneto's own interests. Theirs was a complicated relationship, but it was lifelong and that stood for something.

And while Magneto was currently sitting in his plastic prison, his second in command at the Brotherhood was MIA. Mystique may not like the X-Men or Charles' dreams of unity, but she would do as Erik would want, at least the Professor hoped she would…

Fortifying himself, Xavier picked up his phone and dialed the ten numbers. It rang twice before he heard an answering machine click on, then a beep. "This is Charles. I need Sabertooth."

oOoOoOoOoOo

The day after the ferals met with the Professor, the Wolf Girl moved into her own room in the teacher's wing. Logan also eagerly introduced her to Rogue and the two female mutants instantly liked each other, though both were usually shy. It made Logan happy to see 'his girls' happy together.

Lupa was introduced to Xavier's pupils as a friend of the Wolverine but nothing more of her history was explained. The students accepted the limited information without issue, it was an unspoken rule at the mansion that if a mutant didn't speak of their past, no one would ask about it. More than a few of them were looking to start anew here themselves, leaving old lives and memories behind.

Days passed and she was settling in nicely at the mansion, gaining strength and even a little bit of weight. Lupa spent her time wandering the mansion's gardens, talking to Rogue or one of the X-Men, eating and napping. When Logan teased Lupa about her sleeping habits, she had almost remarked that at least she wasn't taking any accidental naps*, but then remembered he would not understand the joke.

The Wolf Girl still spent much of her time with Storm, but Dr. Gray seemed to be busier now that her patient was on the mend. It saddened Lupa, but she understood Jean had important work to do; she obviously busy with her responsibilities as a leader here.

Filling the hole left by Jean, the Professor issued a standing invitation to Lupa for High Tea in his rose garden every afternoon at four. There they would speak of historical events she had lived through, places she had been, things she had seen-it was a mutually beneficial and enjoyable arrangement. Charles got to ask her questions no textbook could ever truly answer for him and the attention made Lupa felt valued as well as useful.

One such afternoon Xavier asked the Wolf Girl if she would consider helping Scott teach some of his history classes. Lupa initially balked at the idea, she was horrified at the thought of having to speak before an entire class, she even felt a bit like a fraud, who was she to be teaching anyone anything? She had no education after all, how long would it take before they realized what a mistake they'd made?

But the Professor anticipated her fears and managed to soothe her. He explained she had precious personal knowledge of events like the persecution of minority groups during the Third Reich or the effects of the Industrial Revolution. Two subjects Scott happened to be teaching this semester. He even said he thought it would be 'good for her,' though she did not quite understand what he meant by that…So Lupa relented, she agreed to help Cyclops. The feral felt she was indebted to them after all, they saved her life and reunited her with Jimmy Runt.

The Wolf Girl assisted Scott with one class a day during the school week and slowly was becoming more at ease. It was difficult for her of course, what with the large number of people constantly about the mansion and the communal environment. After all she had to adjust to essentially a complete reversal of the way she'd lived for the past two decades, from isolation and solitary confinement to life in a boarding school for growing young mutants. The Wolf Girl often felt like her senses of smell, sight and hearing were overloaded.

Lupa had many sleepless nights full of worry and self doubt- hours spent with her stomach cramped into a tiny ball, panting to catch her breath to the verge of hyperventilation. Treacherous musings would infiltrate her mind then; she began to learn she could not trust her own thoughts, her own mind, during those times.

_What will you do if you can't find Victor? Where will you go then? What if Logan grows weary of you? What if the Professor asks you to leave? You have no education, no trade and no experience beyond 'circus freak' and science experiment/lab rat.' How long will they really let you stay here waiting for your mate? _

At those times she clung for her memories of Victor to get her through the episode, until she could calm herself down from what Jean called 'anxiety attacks.' Lupa would focus on his musky scent, how his body had felt pressed against hers and the way he had tasted when she kissed him so long ago. She never let herself doubt Victor's desire for her though, she never let the question _what if he doesn't want you anymore? _cross her mind. To do that was to admit complete defeat, the female feral might as well stop breathing once she did that.

Yet Lupa held herself together, worked through the bad nights and persevered. She kept going to the classes and answering the students' questions, speaking quietly but clearly and firmly.

Two weeks passed and Xavier still had not mentioned anything about Victor. Both Jimmy and Lupa kept their peace, forcing patience upon themselves. He would give them news when he got it, no sooner than that. They chafed quietly and while waiting, wondered aloud to each other where Victor could be now. Lupa said somewhere cold, Logan guessed in a military base.

Innocuously, it was a quiet, beautiful afternoon when everything changed. The Professor was in his favorite garden passing time until Logan arrived for their meeting, he needed to speak to the feral about improving the mansion's internal and external security systems. As he waited, Charles felt no psychic warning nor did the birds stop their chirping or clouds ominously block out the sun. One moment he was alone in the garden and the next, he wasn't.

"Hello Charlie Boy," a smooth, deep voice purred from behind the telepath.

Xavier tilted his head and smiled tightly, "Hello Victor." He straightened his shoulders and suppressed a shiver.

The mercenary feral slowly stalked around to face the Professor, his own smile easy and wide. Charles could see that Victor had not changed much since Liberty Island five months ago, still dark haired, blue eyed, half way to seven feet tall. He idly wondered if the feral had been amused when his signature muttonchops came back into fashion in the 1970s, over 150 years since the style first became popular.

Creed was wearing his usual ominous black overcoat and towered over the wheelchair-bound mutant by several feet. He kept the smile on his face as he husked, "Charlie, Charlie, Charlie. Heard you need me for somethin', that right?"

"Yes, I do."

"Well, now ain't this interstin'. What could the holier than thou Professor Charles Xavier want from the Big Bad Sabertooth? Need someone offed, old man? Got somebody that needs torturin'? Got to say, didn't think it would take you this long to come over to the dark side. Good on ya" Victor smirked. He was fully aware Charles wouldn't take the bait, but wanted to see how the mind reader would react to the barbs. Might tell him what the situation was and how Charlie Boy felt about it.

"Actually, I asked you here for something more…personal. Recently we have had a new arrival at the mansion, someone who led me to believe that you and Logan may have a-a shared past together, a bond that connects you two together." Xavier could see the Sabertooth's eyes darkening. "They said that you and…Jimmy are brothers. I would like to know if this is true or not."

Creed chuckled harshly, "And who might this informant be? What was the name of the little birdie that told you?"

"First tell me if it is true or not," Xavier hedged, he was extremely hesitant about revealing Lupa as his source, not to mention her current whereabouts.

"Yeah, it's true. That pain in the ass is my little brother. He don't remember shit 'bout that, though." Victor snorted testily, old memories of them were rising up in his mind, both bitter and sweet. "Now, who. Told. You?"

Suddenly a third voice spoke from just outside the small garden, from behind the ivy covered wall. Someone was coming. "Professor? Logan asked me to tell you he's running late for your meet-"

Both Victor and Charles' heads snapped toward the intruder as they turned the corner while speaking. All three mutants stood stock still, frozen in disbelief and shock, their positions making a perfect triangle. Lupa spoke first, "V-Victor?"

Creed didn't answer, he was just staring at the female feral he hadn't laid eyes on in over 20 years, his lips slightly parted and face paler than normal. His mind was blank, it was as if he couldn't quite process the fact that his long lost mate was now standing right in front of him. No more searching, no more hunting, no more dead ends, no more cold trails, no more waiting with righteous, murderous rage…He had found her. Or rather she had stumbled upon him.

Like an old time nickelodeon, Victor's mind lit up with memories of Lupa and him together, scenes playing out before his minds' eye in milliseconds. Then it was like his vision suddenly became sharper, more clear. All the little details he had loved most about his mate jumped out at him, reminding him of what he had been missing: her glorious mane of mahogany curls, the delicate little black claws on her hands and feet, those starry eyes and her sweet summertime scent.

Without warning, and as Victor continued to gape at her, a snarling Lupa flew at her mate with claws bared and fire in her eyes. She started slashing and tearing and scratching and biting at him, using both her blade-sharp fingernails and white wolf fangs as weapons. Little rivers of blood flowed down Victor's torn clothes, the wounds they flowed from healing before the crimson liquid stained the grass. Creed remained still and motionless.

As she beat at him, Lupa was growling something in her native language of Roma, with an occasional English word thrown in. "_M-ai _left me_! M-ai parasit toate _alone_! Ta _mate_! De ce nu te duci tu ticalos?! _Why_ nu te lasa-ma pentru atat de _so long_?! Ce v-ati Lasa-mi coleg?"** _

The Sabertooth seemed to come back to himself when she finished her half sobbed speech. He snatched up Lupa's wrists mid strike and yanked her into his arms, practically crushing her with the strength of his desperate, disbelieving embrace. If the male feral hadn't buried his face into his mate's mass of curly locks, Xavier would have been able to see Victor's expression of agonized relief and amazement.

Both ferals were silent now, though Lupa continued to cry gently, softly. They simply held onto the other for dear life, with no space left between their bodies, their heart beats and breathing in unison. Charles backed up his wheelchair and made to leave the garden for an obviously private moment. Clearly Sabertooth truly was Logan's brother, and clearly Lupa was closer to Victor than she had initially let on. But just as the Professor reached the vine covered exit, Logan arrived for their meeting…

**A/N: OK, so yeah it's a cliffie but Victor and Lupa are finally together again!!! Hurrah! Next chapter will have a more detailed description of what those two lovebirds were thinking/feeling, so be prepared for a little fluff. Of course there'll be violence too, can't forget that either…Please review and let me know what you think, I love all comments and constructive criticism! **

***'Accidental naps' are a reference from the first story ****The Feral****, kind of an inside joke between Logan and Lupa. If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend you do so, a lot of things from ****The Dreaming Animal**** will make sense after you read ****The Feral****. This is a sequel after all.**

**** Translation from Romani: "You left me! You left me all alone! Your mate! Why did you go, you bastard?! Why did you leave me for so long?! Why did you leave me, my mate?"**

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	11. 10 Of Blood & Roses

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay I had a hard time finding my bunnies for this chapter and now that they've found me I wanted to get this update out ASAP. You all have been waiting so patiently I couldn't let you wait more! I haven't had a chance to really edit this completely so by Tuesday the 13****th**** I'll have refined and reposted this with the usual individual shout-outs! Love you guys!**

**A/N 2.0: Update, edited and extended! 4/13/10**

**Thanks to:**

**Aeleita – Glad you like the story, thanks for reviewing!!!**

**Masked Revolt – Man you're good for my ego! Thanks so much for wonderful review, you're a doll! When are you updating again, BTW?**

**Obscure Stranger – Me too! Yay for Victor! XD**

**taterandtotsrule – LOL, hope you like ****The Feral**** too! Let me know what you think of it!**

**Black Rose Kalli – Thanks for the awesome review, glad the chapter lived up to expectations!**

**Kai-Qui – I swear this chapter's not another cliffhanger! Scouts Honor!**

**Porcelain Destiny – I know! I was sooo excited while writing that chapter!**

**LiveFreeDieWell – Here ya go! Ask and you shall receive!**

**wolviegurl – Next chapter will focus more on the brothers' interaction and how they get along. Thanks for reviewing!**

**NightStalkerBlade – Glad you liked the chapter! Hope you update your stories again soon, I looove reading them!**

**bookdreamer17 – LOL, I love writing Xavier, I get a kick out of it! Glad you liked the chapter, but when are YOU updating 'Married' again?! I'm going through withdrawl here!**

**mandya1313 – Obrigado! (Portuguese) **

**WhiteChocolat123 – Thanks for reviewing, the wedding went well, just exhausting of course and it wasn't even MY wedding! XD**

**peteylove – Yay! I get sooo happy when I get nice reviews like yours! Thanks for reading!!! **

**kungfupandabear – I know! ;-) LOL**

**ninjamonkey20 – Here's your update! And a clue, Logan's not gonna be very happy with the situation…**

**HelHound – LOL, yeah, I envisioned Victor as looking pretty gob smacked! **

**Masanya – I giggle every time too, give me a kick! **

**queenbrooklyn67 – I know! I'm evil sometimes! I blame Victor's influence… ;-)**

**tulip tea – My beloved Tulip! Your reviews are always so great to read, they're like little pick me ups! Thanks for sticking with me from the beginning!**

**Bre-Wolf666 – Yeah, I figured if I were her, I'd be seriously pissed at Victor. At least at first of course, he's too damn smexy to stay mad at…**

**booksmartblonde333 – Glad you liked her not fawning all over Vic when she sees him, I felt like that'd be too cliché and un-Lupa like.**

**chrissyissy – I hurried for you! XD**

**xPrincetonx – Love the pic on your profile, Bentley's a gorgeous horse!**

**My Beautiful Ending – LOL, I'd totally smack him around first too. How else would he learn from his mistakes? *evil laugh***

**nekuranekomegami – Thanks so reading and reviewing! You're awesome!**

**QuirkyCullen – LOL, looove your review, freaking hysterical! Glad it was "eee" worthy!**

**Jamberine – Hope this was quick enough for you! ;-)**

**Lil Mizz Blondi – Aw! Don't cry! I'll cry if you cry! :'-[**

**Thanks also to ****GhostAuthor****, ****Aeleita****, ****HisChaosPrincess****, ****wolviegurl****, ****nekuranekomegami****, ****Masanya****, ****randomchick1995****, ****Musical Via****, ****comma fairy**** and ****Kori Namida**** for favoriting/alerting! You guys are cooler than polar bears on ice skates!**

Chapter 10

Of Blood & Roses

Victor didn't often hear from Mystique these days. With Erik the Magnet Man locked up in his plastic cage and the blue bitch on the run from the human authorities, Creed figured the Brotherhood wouldn't be needing his professional services again for quite a while. So he was very surprised to receive a call on his cell from Myst late at night a couple days prior. She hadn't said much, just that Charles Xavier needed him, needed _The_ Sabertooth and that Erik would appreciate it if Creed went to see what Chucky wanted. She said Magneto would 'consider it a personal favor' if he went to the Professor's aid.

Victor had agreed, mostly out of curiosity, to check things out at Xavier's mansion. It was probably nothing, some lame anti-mutant hate mail or graffiti or whatever, but he'd go and see what had Charlie's knickers in such a twist that he'd actually felt the need to call in the Sabertooth.

Too bad Jimmy wasn't at the mansion, would've been fun to play with the Runt again. But Victor's sources said the Wolverine had left the school four, five months ago, to head up north. _Oh well, maybe next time…_

On top of his natural feline curiosity, Victor also wondered if maybe he could barter with Xavier - Creed's…_professional_ services in exchange for assistance in finding Lupa. The feral hadn't had any further luck finding his mate since learning Stryker had her again. The trails had all run cold and he was stuck, once again, without any idea as to where the erstwhile Colonel may be keeping her. That rat bastard had slipped off the face of the Earth, taking his Lupa with him. Victor sometimes wondered if maybe Stryker and Jimmy Hoffa were all hiding in the same spot along with Elvis. And fuck, the Professor was arguably one of the most powerful psychics in the world, if anyone could find her it should be him!

So that's how Victor found himself in an English style rose garden, standing behind some manicured trees, waiting for the exact moment to reveal himself to Charles. The man in question was in his wheelchair adrift in the sea of roses, sitting with a peaceful smile on his face, completely at ease. It'd been quiet the last 15 minutes, no one walking through the ivy covered archway to bother the telepath; Creed figured that if Chucky was waiting for someone, they'd of shown by now. _Good a time as any…_

"Hello Charlie Boy," Victor purred. He had to give to the old man - didn't even flinch at the sound of Creed's voice, just sat up a little straighter, though the surprise was betrayed by his dark eyes.

"Hello Victor," the telepath replied as Victor walked around to face him. He could smell Xavier's trepidation and nervousness.

As they spoke, the feral repeatedly baiting the Professor to ferret out why he'd been called in, and Charles keeping his emotions firmly in check, Victor kept catching the slightest hint of a tantalizingly familiar scent. But it was so faint he couldn't identify it, and in the open air of the garden the scent kept slipping away from him like fog on a breeze.

Refocusing, Victor was startled when Charlie Boy explained he did not in fact want Creed's professional assistance, but that he had something of a more personal nature to inquire of him. Xavier proceeded to recount how a new arrival at the mansion claimed Logan was Victor's little brother actually called Jimmy – a name that the bearer had long forgotten. Then the old bag of wrinkled skin and bones had the balls to ask him if it was true or not.

_Well who the fuck is this snitch that thinks they know so much? How in the hell does he know me an' Jimmy and what the fuck is he doing here at goddamn X-Men central? Who knows about me and that little shit being brothers, thought everybody that did was either dead, locked up or retired…And why the fuck does Charlie Boy wanna know if'n it's true or not?!_

Victor racked his brain for any clue as to who this unnamed bastard was, but he couldn't think of anyone that'd know _and_ come to the mansion for refuge. Nor could he figure out exactly why the Professor was involving himself in private family business. Sabertooth was fast becoming irritated with the situation which was never good. Charlie Boy better quit playing games and spill the beans right quick, or else the feral would help him along forcibly.

"Yeah, it's true. That pain in the ass is my little brother. He don't remember shit 'bout that, though. Now, who. Told. You?" Creed ground out, pleased to see his deadly serious tone and the mental image he was projecting of skinning the telepath alive was making Charles distinctly uncomfortable. It would be best for Victor to get some answers soon, because the animal who dreamt he was a man and woke to find the dream had become real, was rapidly losing his patience.

But before Xavier could open his mouth to reply, another voice rang out from just behind the garden's high walls. "Professor? Logan asked me to tell you he's running late for your meet-" The speaker cut herself off when she turned the corner and saw the two men staring at her, the Professor in trepidation and the other in complete surprise.

For Victor, the world stopped turning, just **stopped**. Nothing else, no one else, existed, only this moment and the woman in front of him, _his_ _Lupa_. There she was - standing barefoot and beautiful in a long flowing blue dress, astonishment written all over her face. She had obviously not been expecting him to be with the Professor, nor had the Professor been expecting her arrival.

_Fuck a duck, she's jus' gotten more beautiful,_ was Creed's first coherent thought.

Her chocolate colored hair had gotten longer, the curls brushed against her hipbones now. And she had also gained a little bit of muscle and fat, an immense improvement from the wane, bony figure she had been last he saw her. It was not enough though for Victor or his beast though – the Sabertooth resisted a sudden, primal urge to go hunting and make her eat his fresh kill, meat still sizzling from the fire.

Her eyes had remained mostly the same Victor noticed. They still looked like someone took twin stars from the sky to set in her face, but oh, the pain that filled them. There were centuries of it in her gaze. _What happened to her? Who's did this to my __**mate**__?! __**My**__ mate…!_

While these thoughts were rushing through Creed's mind, Lupa flew at him, clawing and ripping and tearing at his flesh with her sharp teeth and little black talons. As she attacked, Victor discovered the Wolf Girl's skin still felt as smooth as buttermilk and her fangs remained just as white. She'd begun screaming something at him in her first language, English words peppering the snarls. _She's fuckin' _hot_ all riled up like this…_

Creed didn't need to speak Gypsy, or Romani, or whatever the fuck, to get the gist of what his long lost mate was saying. She was pissed, seriously pissed, at him for leaving her, for not finding her, for letting her suffer alone all those years they were forcibly apart. _Goddamnit, I missed her husky voice, so damn sexy…_

When the female feral was finished half screaming and half sobbing, Victor came back to himself and out of the temporary shock. He snatched up his mate's wrists mid strike and yanked her to him, almost smothering Lupa with the strength of his embrace. He never wanted to let her go again, never stop touching her, never stop breathing in her scent. His inner beast roared in agreement, they would never be separated again. _Fuck, she'd never be out of their _sight_ again!_

And then Jimmy had to show up and ruin it all. Creed's head snapped up from his mate's wild curls, icy blue eyes narrowing when he heard the Runt's roar. Lupa stiffened in his arms, he could feel her holding her breath, he held to him so tightly. She strengthened her own grip on Victor as well, fearing he would vanish into thin air if she let go of his solid, burly mass.

But the Sabertooth was much stronger and now worried for his mate's safety; he tore her away from his chest and shoved her behind him. He went into a fighting stance and kept one arm around Lupa's body, pressing her front against his back so that his own massive bulk and towering height hid most of her from the other two males' sight. His lethal canines were bared and a heavy bass growl rumbled from deep within him. Everything about him in that moment broadcast possessive protectiveness.

_Fucker's scaring the bejesus outta her, goddamnit! And I'll be damned if Jimmy get so much as an inch closer to my mate! Asshole'd try an' take her away from me and there's _NO_ way that's gonna happen, brother or not! Blood or not! _Victor and his beast roared together in agreement, no bond superseded the one they shared with Lupa; she would always be with them, guarded and safe.

Both feral brothers could hear the Wolf Girl quietly whimpering though only Creed could feel her trembles and desperate, clutching fingers. The sound just made things worse; it set both of the brothers further on edge, Victor because his mate was in distress and Logan because he thought they were cries of terror, pleas for help. The two ferals extended their built-in weapons: Creed's claws and Jimmy's blades. They were growling and seconds from attacking each other when the forgotten about Professor moved toward their standoff.

Charles reached out both arms, palms up, hoping to keep the brothers at bay. He needed to get control of the situation immediately, starting with the younger brother. In Victor's mind he could only see an intense desire, a fierce _need_ to protect Lupa at all costs, while Logan's thoughts were tainted with revenge – Jimmy was the more volatile one. Xavier looked to the Wolverine, "Logan. Please calm down. He is here by my invitation."

"He's got Lupa!" Jimmy cried out, his Adamantium claws still exposed.

"If you allow me, I can explain. He is of no danger to her, James." The Professor sent waves of calm to the panicked feral, trying to get the man to stand down. Finally, Logan sheathed his weapons and scowled at the ground in silent fury.

"Thank you," Charles sighed and lowered his hands.

"Don't thank me, just start talkin'! Now!" The Wolverine barked back, he was itching for a fight. It almost felt _wrong_ to be in Sabertooth's presence and not fight him.

"I didn't want you to find out this way, to meet under these kinds of…circumstances, but there's nothing for it now. Logan, this is your older brother, Victor Creed," Xavier answered.

Silence.

"What?!" Jimmy roared. His mind was reeling with frantic denials – _there was no way was he related to that sick bastard Sabertooth! He didn't share blood with that sadistic monster, with that _animal_!_ But some small part of him, a tiny voice in the back of his mind, said it was true, that the Sabertooth was his brother, was his blood. The man who'd tried to kill him on countless occasions, the man who only six months ago kidnapped his kid Rogue, snatched her and took her to Magneto to die. The same man who had moments ago put his dirty hands all over poor, terrified, helpless Lupa. That nudged the Wolverine over the edge; without a moment's hesitation Logan surged forward, rage enveloping his mind, his shining blades drawn again and ready to shed his brother's blood. Their blood.

Victor dropped the arm that had been keeping Lupa immobile up against him, pushed her backwards, stepped toward his brother and released his claws, arms out at his sides, waiting for the Runt to reach him. He fully expected his mate to back up, retreat further from the fight if not the garden itself. He knew she wasn't stupid, a fight between two enraged male ferals was extremely dangerous, and not just for the contenders, for any bystanders too.

It all happened so fast. Logan rushed forward, Victor thrust Lupa away from him, took a step closer to the charging Wolverine…and a millisecond later the Wolf Girl was in front of her mate, blocking his body from attack. The younger brother had _almost_ been upon the elder at that point and didn't have time to retract his blades; they sunk deep into her soft flesh, all the way up to Jimmy Runt's knuckles.

Again there was complete and total silence. The Professor, Logan and Victor were frozen with absolute horror. Lupa stared straight into Jimmy's chest and blinked several times. Then she made a slight gasping sound, which quickly turned into a wet gurgling noise. Blood seeped out between her parted lips, darkening their normal pink to the same crimson as the roses that surrounded her.

_*** SNIKT***_

After a few breathless seconds the Wolverine retracted his claws. The female feral crumbled and began to slide down the front of her stunned mate before Victor snatched her up. He held her in his arms, staring at her pale face, into her silver eyes while blood ran from her mouth. Creed staggered back a few steps then collapsed to his knees, turning his back to the two others and clutching the bleeding bundle to his chest.

"I'm alright, Victor, I'm alright. I can feel myself healing already. All is well. Besides, I am with you again. How could I even feel pain?" Lupa smiled warmly up at her terrified mate, a pathetic, though valiant attempt at reassurance. She could scent the fear seeping from his pores and she could see the panic in his eyes but what she spoke was truth. How could she feel anything other than utter joy as she lay in his arms? The Wolf Girl struggled to raise a hand to cup his cheek, and quickly Victor lowered his head to accommodate her. He didn't realize it, but he, Victor Fucking Creed, was purring, instinctively trying to comfort his mate. Their gazes locked, both mates temporarily forgetting about the others.

"Oh God, Lupa! Are you, are ya sure you're alright? I'm so sorry! I didn't-" Logan's agonized ramblings were interrupted by fearsome growling that resonated from deep inside Victor's chest and was felt deep inside Jimmy's bones. He not only stopped speaking, he also stopped his advance on the feral couple.

"It's alright Victor, Logan. It was an accident and I am almost perfectly alright now." But Lupa's wheezing voice, heavy with sound of liquid filling her lungs, belied her overestimation of the rate of her healing. "Please, do not fight. Please." She looked at the brothers with such a pleading, innocent expression that neither could deny her. The Sabertooth and the Wolverine's eyes met and they made a silent agreement to _Wait_. They could both agree she'd been through more than enough already, no need to upset her even more. Funny how the brothers could still effectively communicate through their glares, even with the years apart, Logan's memory loss and their mutual antagonism.

Both men nodded solemnly to the Wolf Girl and she beamed back up at them. The look pure relief and gratitude and _love_ on her face was enough to make the delay worth it, at least for Victor. For Jimmy, it _almost_ made it worth it, but then again, she wasn't his Mate.

Creed stood then, with his Lupa in his arms, his growling diminished, but still rumbling out threats to his little brother. _Stay away, don't follow_, it said, _Back the fuck off or I'll finish you_. Both Logan and Charles chose to heed the warnings.

Right then, Victor wanted nothing more than to get the fuck away from Charlie, who everyone seemed to have forgotten about, again, and most especially away from the Runt, that little shit.

Without another word Victor strode out of the garden and towards the mansion, using his enhanced sense of smell to follow Lupa's scent trail back to her room. What the Sabertooth really wanted to do was get his mate at least 100 miles from the fucking place, but she was injured and scared and in pain and he needed to get her as safe as possible, as soon as goddamn possible so he could check out her wounds.

Xavier's place was the closest and probably the safest option right now, not to mention the most comfortable. Creed's apartment in New York City was at least a five hour drive away speeding, and fuck if he'd go to a hotel, he wouldn't be able to protect her properly there. Plus he was still a wanted man in the US; best keep a low profile by avoiding security cameras, desk clerks and speeding tickets. The school would have to do until he had the chance to assess the full extent of her injuries, then he'd get her the fuck outta Dodge, head some place safer than Xavier's school for midget freaks, AKA headquarters to the goody-fucking-two-shoes X-Men.

So Victor followed the invisible trail of summertime and peaches and carried his mate up the back staircase Lupa most often used to go from her room to the gardens. He was outside of the door in two minutes and had locked it behind him and laid her out on the bed, ready to inspect her wounds in under two and a half.

**A/N: Please, please, please REVIEW! This is the longest chapter I've yet written and I'd looove some feedback and opinions! Plus reviewers get cupcakes, chocolate frosted vanilla cupcakes topped with those rainbow sprinkles and crunchy silver balls! **

**P.S. If this was your second time reading this, thanks for checking back, hope you liked the improvements and alterations!**


	12. 11 It Does Not Matter

**A/N: OK, usual spiel. I don't own X-Men or anything related to them. I don't make any money on this so please don't sue! I do claim the plot and my OCs though.**

**Thanks to:**

**Masked Revolt – Wow, you're awesome! Thanks for the compliments and support, it means a lot! And I'm so happy you posted a new chapter! I'm dying for more so update again soon!**

**femensqueterror – Oh yay! I'm really happy you like both stories! I'm also relieved Victor isn't too out of character, I wanted to stay fairly true to the comics/movies but at the same time show my own version. Hope you like this chappie too!**

**Porcelain Destiny – OMG! You write the BEST reviews ever! All the things you mentioned I was really happy with when I wrote them. The 'dreaming animal' line was a favorite of mine in this chappie! Thanks for the support, you ROCK!**

**WhiteChocolat123 – Holy crap! I won the reviewing lottery! Thanks for the double review and all the comments, I really appreciate it and love reading them! And I totally know what you mean about the last piece of cake in the fridge, you almost savor the anticipation. Oh and I'm glad you liked the duck line, it always makes me laugh when someone says it. It seemed just irreverent enough for the moment.**

**mandya1313 – Melesi! (Kituba tribe, Africa)**

**bookdreamer17 – You are such a doll! I love reading your reviews, your opinions/comments/ideas really mean a lot to me, dearest pen pal! And what's the new non-fanfic story about? Will you post it on fictionpress? Good luck with it even though I'm going through 'Married' withdrawl...I'll survive (I hope.) ;-)**

**Black Rose Kalli – Darling Kalli! What type of cupcake do you desire? Red velvet? Double chocolate? Sprinkles on the top? It's yours! ;-) Hope this chapter is satisfying, thanks for reviewing again!**

**Sinario – Yeah, I tried telling Lupa she didn't need to protect Vic but she got all snarly and growly so I just backed off and let her do her thing. Bitch. ;-) This chappie's kind of a filler but next will have more plot development and will have Charles and Logan too. Thanks for reviewing again!**

**booksmartblonde333 – Don't worry next chapter will have some brotherly interaction, it won't be exactly tea and crumpets at first but I have high hopes for them...**

**chrissyissy – LOL, I love that idea! I looove Rogue so she'll definitely make an appearance in the story, she is close to both Logan and Lupa after all. Maybe I'll do a variation of your suggestion, would that be OK? I'd give full credit obviously. Anyhoo, so glad you're still liking the story, love!**

**ninjamonkey20 – So glad you thought the ending wasn't too abrupt, and yeah that did make sense! And dude, you still haven't filled out your cupcake order forms! I need to know if you want chocolate or vanilla frosting, sprinkles or no sprinkles, etc! ;-)**

**My Beautiful Ending – Yeah, the Professor wasn't so happy with the ending of that last chapter...Damn pacifists. LOL, thanks for reviewing again doll face!**

**GhostAuthor – Whew, I'm glad I was clear about showing the difference between the brothers and their inner animals. I was kind of nervous about it! Thanks for reviewing, you're awesome!**

**QuirkyCullen – My darling Quirky, you rock. Thanks for the support and for reading!**

**wolviegurl – Yay! So glad you liked the last chapter! I was really happy with the way it turned out. Thanks for reviewing BTW, I love getting comments/suggestions/ideas!**

**queenbrooklyn67 – Don't worry Miss Queen! I'll have some Lupa/Logan bonding time soon, probably next chapter. They've got a lot to talk about. Thanks for another wonderful review, you are a love!**

**kungfupandabear – LOL, it's a feral soap opera! ;-)**

**HelHound – Ooo! You're good! I was thinking Logan could get some flashes of his time with Victor, like growing up, fight in war, etc. Whatcha think?**

**Kai-Qui – You're awesome Jami, you know that? Thanks for all the support and comments and suggestions, you're wonderful! Oh, yeah, Logan's not gonna be the only one uncomfortable with Vic at the mansion... ;-)**

**LiveFreeDieWell – Yay! So glad you liked it! Thanks for R&R!**

**Lil Mizz Blondi – LOL, you're adorable. I'm so happy you liked the chapter and it was AH-worthy! ;-)**

**tulip tea – I was going for a sweet Victor, hope it wasn't overboard...Whatcha think? Thanks for reviewing again doll face!**

**Also thanks to GhostAuthor, femensqueterror, Corvenus, Musical Via, randomchick1995, Masanya, the Chaotic Deadshot and QueensGambit for alerting and favoriting!**

Chapter 11

It Does Not Matter

Victor locked the door behind him and laid Lupa out on her bed. Standing over her prone body, he used one tawny talon to slice open the front of her bloody blue dress, revealing a white cotton bra and the gaping wounds just above it. The only thing in his mind now was to see how bad off his mate was, to check the true extent of the damage the damn Runt caused and how fast she was _really_ healing. Creed knew he couldn't rely on Lupa's input; she would try to downplay the situation and her own pain, try to protect Jimmy from the Sabertooth's building anger.

Staring down, Victor saw her injuries were not all that impressive to look at, the cuts only about two inches long and maybe a quarter of an inch wide each. Yet they were viscerally striking, six matching gashes just below her delicately curved collarbones. Six tears exposing raw pink and red tissue underneath milky skin splotchily stained crimson from her spilt blood.

Creed knew the real trouble would be internal: sliced muscle and ligament, chipped bone, and punctured, deflated lungs; all that would probably take days to repair in Lupa's current weakened condition. She wasn't going to die, but for Victor, it was still way too close for comfort. He darkly concluded it would be best for her body to be given at least a day to recover before moving her, which meant he'd be stuck here for the night. Tempering Sabertooth's extreme irritation at having to crash at Xavier's place along with Jimmy Runt and the X-Idiots was the fact he could see her flesh already beginning to knit itself together. For the next few minutes he intently watched the painstaking process, as if to reassure himself she _was_ healing.

Then, still without either feral having spoken a word, Victor turned his gaze to the rest of the Wolf Girl's body. He ran his hands up and down the length of Lupa's arms and legs, letting his calloused palms and fingers search for tenderness, swelling or breaks in bone – his beast insistent they check for any further harm inflicted upon their mate. When satisfied nothing was amiss with her extremities, Sabertooth knelt and placed his ear to her chest now sticky with drying blood. He listened to the rasping and gurgling and wheezing mess inside her; her lungs were drowning. Yet he was relieved to note Lupa was no longer bleeding freely from her mouth, there was only an occasional trickle now, some red-tinged saliva – a sign her severed veins and arteries were starting to reconnect themselves. The amount of fluid already choking his mate's lungs did concern Creed however. He needed to get the excess liquid out of her and it would not be pleasant.

"Alright baby girl, yer gonna have ta sit up now. Ya got blood filling up yer lungs and we need ta get it out," Victor voice was firm but didn't hold the usual sharp edge; it had been softened a bit for her.

With his help, Lupa slowly and gingerly sat up and let her legs dangle over her bed, only her flashing eyes revealed the pain the movement caused. Victor sat beside her and continued in a no-bullshit tone, looking her straight in the eye. "Ya need to cough it up 'n out, so put yer head between yer knees and I'll hit ya on the back. I won't lie to ya, angel*, it's gonna hurt like hell."

"Ready," Lupa choked out more blood than a reply. She smiled grimly, leaned over her legs and proceeded to cough, spit, hack and gag out a quart of blood from her lungs while Creed firmly smacked at her back to encourage the expulsion. A few minutes later a gasping Lupa Naja collapsed back onto her bed, physically, emotionally, and mentally worn out; fuck, she was even _spiritually_ wiped.

Victor walked to her en suite bathroom and returned with a face cloth doused in hot water. Eyes closed, the Wolf Girl just enjoyed the sensation of warm, wet cotton wiping her face and chest clean of dried blood. It was a very soothing, intimate moment. When he'd finished, Lupa heard a wet _smack_ and jumped at the sound before realizing he'd just thrown the soiled towel to the floor. But she was filled with glowing warmth when heard her mate purr briefly in response, trying to soothe her. When the tension left her body again, Creed used his right index claw to slice the rest of the way down the front of her ruined dress. She felt him slide the gory, ripped fabric off her exhausted body so she was only clad in her plain white underwear. She knew his shirt was probably unsalvageable as well, soaked and splattered with her blood. She idly wondered if Colossus had anything large enough to fit her mate...

Briefly, Lupa realized while she'd been daydreaming Victor had lifted her up in his thick arms and pulled back the covers to rest her beneath them. Eyes still shut, the female feral listened to the Sabertooth take off his infamous black overcoat and throw it on her desk chair. The rustle of cloth that followed indicated he'd taken off his bloody dress shirt too, leaving only his white undershirt on. The shoes were next and they made a _thumping_ noise when dropped to the hardwood floor, she almost started at the break in the silence. A moment later Lupa felt her mattress dip and the springs sag with Creed's added weight. They remained silent as he lifted her blankets and slid in next to her, lying on his side to draw her chilly body close to his own warm one, practically curling up around her.

It was quiet for maybe 10 minutes, both just reveling in the feel of holding one another, skin against skin, their scents mixing: summertime peaches and the deep, wild woods. Finally Lupa made a small, satisfied noise, burrowed a little closer and opened her eyes; Victor hadn't taken his off her since climbing into bed. Silver met blue. "Where have you been?" She asked gently, unaccusingly.

"Lookin' fer you," Creed sighed and moved onto his back to stare up at the ceiling while keeping his right arm wrapped tightly around her, he threw the left over his forehead. "I was late makin' it to Prince Edward Island all those years back 'cause I had a tail, one of Stryker's men. When I finally got rid of 'em and made my way up there, you 'n the Runt were gone…Spent years lookin' fer ya, got some good Intel, and some bad, always running into dead ends. A couple days ago I got a message sayin' the Professor wanted ta see me, so I came. Wasn't expectin' you or the...family reunion."

Lupa smiled, "I could tell." She remembered the look of utter shock on his face; he certainly had not been expecting her. And his reaction back there made her pleased now; to her it showed he did still care.

"Yer turn. Where've you been?"

"I haven't been here long, not yet a full month. Before I was with Stryker and…like-minded men. Soldiers and scientists," Lupa clamped down on her muscles to prevent the shiver that threatened to run through her thinking of them. Sighing, she continued, "Jean, Storm and Scott rescued me and brought me here."

"And Jimmy?" Victor practically growled.

"He didn't remember me. Doesn't remember us," the Wolf Girl sadly replied, looking at Victor when she said 'us.' "I told him he had a brother. I told him about you. He was so excited he asked the Professor to help us look for you. But I don't understand, he recognized you in the garden, he was angry with you. How does he know you but not know you were his brother? Why is he angry with you?" Lupa wasn't upset or demanding as she spoke, merely softly sad and confused at how the brothers had ended up.

"It's a long story, baby girl. A long story," Lupa could tell Victor wasn't eager to explain things to her but she looked at him expectantly and waited. The Sabertooth huffed and rolled his eyes, he knew she wanted more than that. Quickly he gave an overview of how after finding the Canadian hide-out abandoned, he'd gone looking for the two of them and Stryker. How he'd found Logan at a military base just after he'd willingly gotten Adamantium bonded to his bones because he believed Victor had sold them out to the Colonel. Lupa noticed bitterness about him when spoke of the perceived betrayal, a look of deep hurt and anger. He was pained his brother had thought him capable of such an act and coldly furious at the same time.

Swiftly though, Victor shook himself and continued to explain how as best he could figure, Jimmy had gotten himself shot in the head by Stryker's mutant bodyguard Agent Zero, thus the memory loss. He tensely recounted how Logan had run off after getting shot and the ensuing decades long disappearing act.

Creed glossed over the details of his 20 odd year career as a mercenary, focusing on how about six months back he did a job for an enemy of the X-Men in exchange for information on her whereabouts, something that set him at odds with his brother.

"Why would he be upset? What did you do?" She asked without guile or agenda, merely curiosity.

"He thinks Erik's a bad guy – in his book, that makes me a bad guy too, baby girl."

"But what did you do for Erik?" Lupa was struggling to understand, how could Jimmy Runt think Victor was a 'bad guy?' She snuggled deeper into her mate's embrace seeking comfort and refuge.

The Sabertooth paused before seriously looking down at her and asking a question in reply, "Does it matter?"

This was where Lupa should have paused as well. Thought before she spoke, consider things a bit before replying. But the Wolf Girl knew she did not need to think, to consider or reflect. The answer was clear in her mind and heart, though it may not be the right one, the moral one.

It did not matter what he did for Erik because she would never leave Victor, no matter what he'd done. She would always and irrevocably be tied to him, belong to him. And he would always belong to her. It was cowardly and selfish and naïve and foolish of her, but the truth nonetheless. And that truth was not something she could, or would want, to change.

Lupa looked deep into her mate's icy eyes and answered honestly, "No. No, it does not matter, Victor."

**A/N: Don't worry, next chapter will have Logan and some of the X-Men in it! But please, please, PLEASE review and let me know what you think, or if you have any suggestions, ideas or whatever! Remember, reviewers get a CUPCAKE! (Your choice of favor, icing & toppings. Available for pick up on my profile page.) ;-)**

***Special thanks to Kai-Qui for the suggestion of 'angel' as Victor's pet name for Lupa and letting me use it!!! I absolutely love it!**


	13. 12 The Art of True, Storytelling

**A/N: OK folks, sorry for the wait but this is the longest chapter YET and it took some time to refine and satisfy myself with the content. Nope, still don't own the X-Men, wish I owned Victor though…**

**Thanks to all my reviewers, please check out the author's note at the end of the chapter!**

Chapter 12

The Art of True, Storytelling

They all gathered in the Professor's office, Jean, Scott, Ororo, Charles and Logan. Xavier had telepathically called in the other X-Men immediately after Creed had stalked out of the rose garden up to Lupa's room, the woman in question hanging limply in his massive arms. After briefly outlining the situation to the team members, namely the sanctioned presence of Sabertooth at the school and his current location in Miss Naja's room, chaos erupted. The wheelchair bound telepath was thankful his mansion's walls were so thick otherwise Victor would definitely have heard them all yelling.

Everyone except for Jimmy and Charles were talking over each other. Storm was flushed and sputtering while Jean was losing the battle to keep her voice down. Cyclops felt no such restraint and was loudly ranting at the Professor while waving his arms about. The Wolverine ignored everything for about three minutes as he paced the same 15 foot length of floor, a vicious scowl on his face. Finally fed up, he hollered "SHUT UP!"

"Will you all just _shut up_?" Logan growled. He was exasperated and frustrated and confused and _not_ in the mood for patience. It was quiet for a moment. Charles appeared relieved, the two X-Women looked slightly ashamed and Scott only seemed to get madder. The feral spoke before One-Eye could get started again, "Chuck, is it true? Is he - is he really my brother?"

"Yes, he is." Xavier's voice was calm and sure, it helped anchor Jimmy, make them more real, more focused.

_Fuck! _Was all that popped to mind for the oldest mutant in the room.

The penny dropped for the X-Men.

"Sabertooth? _That's_ your brother?" Cyclops practically screeched out in shock and horror, unable to contain himself any longer. He stared at Logan as if he should be holding a sign announcing that fact; that or sprouting horns. Quickly though, Scott switched his focus back to Charles, "And you invited him HERE? To the school? He's dangerous! An animal! He's nearly killed both Logan and Storm and he kidnapped Rogue barely six months ago! He works for Magneto! What were you thinking?"

All eyes turned to the Professor, waiting for his response, his reasoning, his defense. "Two weeks ago James and Lupa asked me for help finding his brother, another feral named Victor Creed. He is also known as Sabertooth, yes, but I assure you, no one here is in any danger from him as long as Miss Naja is kept safe. He is not here…on business or to spy for Magneto, Erik is in prison and Mystique on the run. It is not a trap or some ploy on his part."

Xavier heaved a heavy sigh from behind his cherry wood desk before continuing, "Let me tell you all a story. Please, sit." Everyone took advantage of the offer except for Wolverine. He instead chose to lean against the wall closest to the exit, keeping one ear out for feminine screams and monstrous roars. _Just in case she needs me…_

When everyone was settled, Charles began. "Long, long ago two brothers were born who shared a bond so strong it seemed unbreakable. Each was special. Gifted. Different from others with unusual physical attributes. People feared and hated them because of it. Unfortunately while bringing the two closer, their abilities isolated them from the rest of society. Over the years a hard, bitter lesson was beaten into them: each could only trust the other.

"Growing up as the two men did, in the times they did, in addition to their unique gifts, it is of no surprise they gravitated towards the military. The brothers went to war together time and time again. Watching each others backs, bleeding, sweating and killing side by side. Choosing Union Blue over Confederate Gray, serving in the 'War to End All Wars' and then barely a generation later fighting for the Allies along side the sons of the previous war's soldiers."

The Professor cleared his throat, "They fought in the Conflict Overseas and in Nixon's War*. Always on the frontlines yet maintaining a low profile, trying to keep their talents secret, while always protecting each other. Time passed and the elder brother became more ruthless and vicious and wild, becoming overwhelmed by the animal that lived within him, after a hundred years of war. A century of bloodshed and carnage and horror."

The X-Men were all silent, completely enthralled by the Professor's tale. Even Logan was listening avidly though of course he refused to show it, instead retaining his signature scowl. As an intensely private creature, the Wolverine was more than a tad bit uncomfortable and irritated at having his life story dished in front of everybody like this, no need to encourage Chuck further by looking interested.

"When the brothers' secret was exposed in Vietnam and they found themselves in trouble, they were presented an offer by the commander of a top secret black ops unit. Asked to join a team made up entirely of mutants. They of course accepted, being stuck between a figurative rock and a hard place, and proceeded to go on missions.

"Here the story becomes a bit hazy, the records and documents I've found are vague and incomplete. I've had to mostly rely on the recollections of an eyewitness and employ intuitive leaps to put this part of the tale together.

"Somehow the brothers met up with a woman who was remarkably like them, had similar gifts and characteristics. She was a secret prisoner of their commander and was being tortured most cruelly, experimented upon as if an animal. I do not know which brother came up with the idea, but both helped her escape. They chose to split up after successfully getting out, the female going with the younger male while the elder went on his own, I believe to throw off their trail. He apparently was also in charge of taking care of their business matters - presumably things such as forged identification, transferring funds from different bank accounts and the like.

"Unfortunately, soon after the younger man and the woman arrived at their safe house, the same people who had 'recruited' the brothers, kidnapped them. When the elder returned and found them missing he spent years looking for both. Doing everything in his power to locate either one; breaking into military record storage facilities, hacking government computer systems, employing bribery, blackmail, torture, murder. Nothing worked. They were gone and he was alone.

"Over 20 years passed without any hint of the missing brother or female like them. The elder never stopped searching but according to rumor he eventually began to take side jobs as a mercenary. As the man's decades long quest was very well known in certain circles, his payment for jobs would often be Intel on the ones who abducted the woman and his brother. Little scraps of information but never the Holy Grail.

"One day, perhaps a half a year ago, the elder brother did a job in exchange for documents on the missing female, files that could possibly reveal where she was being held. The contract was for an abduction and surprisingly he had a bit of trouble with it," the Professor almost smiled at that understatement.

"When he found his target, he found his brother too. I believe when he realized the situation, that his sibling would try to prevent him from completing his job, thus losing the critical Intel, the elder man made a choice. I suppose when he saw Jimmy did not know him, it made the decision somewhat easier for him…Logan, do you remember telling me how while fighting Sabertooth on the Statue of Liberty you asked him a question?" Xavier turned his sadly wise gaze onto the Wolverine.

"Yeah, I remember. I asked him why he hated me so much, if I owed him money or somethin'. He freaked out. Said I owed him 'everything.' That he trusted me to look after someone for him and I fucked it up." Jimmy was finally getting it. He had been supposed to take care of Lupa but instead they got captured. Creed must blame him for that. And for forgetting him. Hell, maybe even for leaving him alone.

Wolverine went on, "You said he wouldn't come after us as long as she's safe. Why is she so important to him? Why the hell is he acting like this? I mean, he's a goddamn monster! He took Rogue to her death! A young girl who doesn't look much younger than Lupa. Why does he even care about what happens to her? It can't be jus' 'cause she's a feral too!"

"He is her mate, I believe."

Surprisingly there wasn't another chorus of raised voices at the proclamation, just a few gasps of disbelief. Xavier continued, "From what little I know about ferals, it seems the most likely explanation. Every feral has a mate and when they meet, they recognize each other on an instinctual and biological level. It's an almost instant bonding we regretfully know very little about. I think because of that primal connection Victor could easily rationalize kidnapping Rogue in order to gain information on Lupa's location."

"So now what? We just let him stay because he's supposedly Lupa's mate? Did you even bother asking her how she feels about him?" Scott's sudden questions caught everyone off guard, no one expected him to be the Wolf Girl's champion. Logan could understand it though, Scooter was a boy scout, a wannabe knight in shining fucking armor.

"If the Professor says he's of no threat to us then I say he should be allowed to stay, at least for the time being. This is a refuge for mutants, after all," Storm was firm in her position, she believed it was the right thing to do, especially after hearing Sabertooth's history and having his possible motivations explained. Could she say she would not have done the same as Victor had her only family taken away by evil men? Would she sacrifice a stranger for a loved one? The Weather Goddess couldn't honestly say. Maybe.

"Are you crazy, Ororo? They've both got to leave! He's a vicious, dangerous creature and as long as she's with us here, we're at risk of getting mauled to death! Who knows what could upset him! Will he be angry with us because she's been working here as a teacher? What about spending her time with Logan and Scott? They should both leave for the safety of everyone here, I'm sure Lupa will understand. I mean, can he even be trusted around _children_? Not to mention any possible enemies he has who might come after him here." Dr. Gray's words were emphatic and rushed. She was visibly ruffled and apparently very uncomfortable at having Victor Creed present in the mansion.

It seemed Xavier's eloquent and illuminating storytelling could not override her unease or distaste. Yet Logan caught a faint whiff of jealousy coming off the beautiful scientist, and he wondered if her personal envy towards the Wolf Girl might not be at the base of Jean's adamancy and why she was so eager for both Lupa and Victor to leave.

"Logan, what is your opinion?" Charles asked gently, he was curious to say the least, so far the Wolverine had remained silent while each of the X-Men spoke their turn.

"I don't like havin' him here, even if he's my brother. I think she should stay and he should go. There's too much risk of him stayin' here for long. I don't know if he's her…mate or not, but I'll sure as hell find out," the Runt sighed very quietly. Xavier could feel the pain coming off Logan in waves but the telepath could not tell if it was because of Lupa or because of Victor.

"I fully respect all of your opinions and have taken them into consideration but the final decision rests with me as Headmaster. I have invited Victor here and decided I will extend that invitation for another few days while Lupa heals from her, accident,"

"What accident?" Storm interrupted, brow furrowed in concern. Cyclops leaned forward in interest, he was fond of his new teaching assistant. She had lived for so long but was still very young in many ways and he felt protective towards her, like an older brother. Somehow though, Scott didn't think that was the way Sideburns felt about her…He frowned a bit unconsciously.

"There was a small accident during the, reunion. Lupa is already on her way to a full recovery. Now, as I was saying-"

"Don't tell me, it was Creed, wasn't it?" Scott Summers had jumped to his feet in anger as he yelled. Once more, Charles was thankful for his home's thick walls.

The Professor opened his mouth to deflect the question, to insist it was an accident, which after all it was, but the Wolverine spoke first. "It was my fault, I went after Victor with my claws and she stepped in front of 'em at the last second." There were horrified gasps and One-Eye dropped back into his chair.

"I couldn't - I couldn't retract my claws in time…I got her through the chest, but before she even reached the ground, he had her in his arms. He snarled at me, like he was wanted to rip me to pieces with jus' his teeth. The only reason he didn't attack I think was because she needed tendin' to. She wasn't scared though, made us promise not to fight..." Logan looked thoroughly lost in the memory and Xavier choose to step back in.

"It was a truly unfortunate accident. But Miss Naja is not badly hurt and as I said before, already on her way to recovery thanks to her healing mutation. As I was saying, both she and Logan can use the next few days to become reacquainted with Mr. Creed. Once Lupa is better it will of course be up to her if she wishes to stay with us or not. Now, I would like to have a private discussion with Mr. Creed to establish some ground rules during his visit. Who would like to escort him to my office?" Xavier asked the mutants before him.

OOoOoOoOoOoOo

She'd fallen asleep about 20 minutes ago and Victor hadn't looked away from her face once. She said it wouldn't matter, that whatever he had done in order to find her could not change things, alter what was between them. But he still had doubts. As far as he knew that Rogue kid was back living at the mansion, did they know each other? Logan obviously had a soft spot for the girl, another strike against Creed in his brother's eyes.

But should he tell Lupa? How would she react? It was easy for her to say it didn't matter since she didn't know exactly what he'd been up to the last years. Then again, at least one of the X-Freaks would be sure to gleefully tell her every graphic detail from each rumor floating around about The Sabertooth. Tell her about him fighting against them, kidnapping her friend, working for Mags and other Bad Men as a merc.

Victor wondered if they knew about the things he'd had done in the wars (kill, rape, hunt, maim, kill), the things he'd seen (Antietam, Normandy, Dachau) or the craft of killing he'd perfected. He'd gotten so good at his 'art' that Victor could either snuff out a life in seconds (broken neck, beheading, heart shot, throat slashed) or make one suffer for days (partial evisceration, slow exsanguination, exposure - a particular favorite since Creed's mutation kept him safe from hypothermia or frostbite).

It'd be best if he told her about the Rogue job first, that or he'd have to cut the tongue out of every X-Man's mouth to keep 'em from spilling. His Wolf Girl probably wouldn't appreciate him doing that though. Maybe she wouldn't be as upset if he just super-glued the X-Men's mouths shut - only until he'd gotten her out of the school of course, away from people who would expound upon his reputation as Sabertooth, his horrific past, his painful, ugly history.

Speaking of those do-gooders, they'd all be hollering at Charles right about now, demanding to know what the fuck Sabertooth was doing at their school, how Logan and Lupa knew him and how the fuck long he was staying. Probably freaking out that it was a trap or some shit. Some dastardly plan of the Brotherhood's.

Victor smirked evilly however, when remembering he'd practically received an engraved invitation to Xavier's home by the man himself. _They wouldn't be able to do shit about Big Bad Creed playing in their sandbox, fuckers_….The feral snickered at that thought and Lupa shivered hearing the cruel sound. Unconsciously, Creed began stroking her curls to reassure her.

The feral refocused his attention onto his woman, still napping peacefully beside him. She was obviously deeply asleep, probably wouldn't wake anytime soon - he could tell from her slow heartbeat and quiet, heavy breathing. But the mates would have to deal with other people sometime in the near future, the very near future. The X-Holes probably were almost finished with their impromptu family meeting, and then send some kind of emissary to his Lupa's room. He didn't like the idea of leaving her alone, but she needed her rest rather than attend a stressful or emotional meeting.

Victor wondered who it'd be_. The red headed Doc? Nah, Charlie knows 'm not real fond of telepaths…Stormy the Weather Witch? Maybe, she seemed pretty cool under fire…Cyclops? Again maybe, but would the Prof have doubts about his young leader's temper? Or Logan…_That'd _be fun! Could finally get a chance at havin' a private little chat with the Runt if he shows up._

Just then Victor's enhanced hearing picked up the sounds of approaching footsteps falling on the hallway carpet.

_Game time…_

**IMPORTANT A/N: As you might have noticed I didn't do any individual shout outs this time. I've actually gotten a few private messages that said they were annoying and disruptive to the story. One also was upset I posted her FanFic 'name' when I replied to her comment.**

**So I'm giving all my WONDERFUL reviewers the choice. Do I keep doing personal replies to reviews before each chapter or ditch it? Also, if you don't want your 'name' posted, if I do continue to reply to reviews, just P.M. me and I won't! Promise!**

**Oh, and please review about how the story's doing too! **

**A/N 2.0 Also, thanks to HelHound for reminding me about Victor's enhanced hearing, I fixed it so that it's clear the mansion's walls are conveniently too thick for sound to travel. Remember to review!**

*Union Blue and Confederate Gray are the names of the specific colors of the Northern and Southern military uniforms during the American Civil War. Seriously, Google it.

*At the time, World War I was called 'the War to End All Wars' in the rather naïve belief it would prevent all future international conflict.

*World War II began for the European Allies when Hitler invaded Poland in 1939, 21 years after WWI ended in 1918. Many of the men fighting in WWII were the nephews or sons of soldiers in WWI.

*The 'Conflict Overseas' is what the fighting in Korea was called in order for the President to skirt around getting Legislative approval for the war, (US presidents can't officially declare war without it).

*During the latter stages of Nixon's presidency, people began calling the Vietnam War, Nixon's War.

**Little history lesson for ya there kiddies. Plus it seemed to boring to be like 'Logan and Victor fought in the Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam.'**


	14. 13 Revelations

**A/N: OK, real quick I just want to thank everyone who PM'd or reviewed with their opinions on the individual shout-outs. I decided I am going to keep doing them (one because I love you guys so much, and two because it's kind of my way of thanking you for reading), but now they'll be at the END of each chapter. I hope this is a good compromise! So now, onward to the story!**

_Previously: "Now, I would like to have a private discussion with Mr. Creed to establish some ground rules during his visit. Who would like to escort him to my office?" The Professor asked the X-Men standing before him._

Chapter 13

Revelations

Just as the last words left Xavier's lips, a shy knock came at his office door. All heads turned. "Come in, my dear," Charles invited.

The door opened to reveal and hesitant and slightly embarrassed looking Rogue. "I, I'm sorry tah interrupt. I didn't mean tah eavesdrop but I was waitin' outside for our session Professah, an' since absorbin' Wolverine, well, sometimes I can't seem tah help overhearin' everybody," the teenager ventured.

"What is on your mind Rogue?" Xavier asked the young woman.

"I wanted tah say I'd do it. I'll fetch, Victor for ya'll. Bring 'em here. I really don't mind. I mean, after listenin' tah yah explain everythin', well, I woulda done the same as him! I understand why he took me, an' I don't blame 'im none for it. I was jus' a job, a way tah get his family back." The beautiful young mutant stood before them blushing but keeping her chin high.

Sabertooth may freak her the heck out, but she'd learn to deal with it…She would do this, do it for her friend, for a woman she's only known for a few short weeks, but someone she'd come to look up to and care for deeply. Late at night, the southern girl liked to imagine the female feral was her mother, or at least her older sister, occasionally a long lost aunt. Secretly at times, Rogue had also wished Lupa and Logan would get together, in order to keep them both near her (though of course she was pretty sure they'd have been happy together too).

The good thing about that plan had been the fact the teenager was pretty sure Wolverine would have been 100% on board with her scheme, he seemed like he a had major crush on his female counterpart after all. But even Rogue could see Lupa appeared completely oblivious to anything related to romance or love. She treated Jimmy as a best friend, or even as a brother, not as someone she looked upon with any kind of…desire. The teen didn't think Lupa even recognized the look in Logan's eyes either, his own desire for the female feral.

Now Rogue figured the Wolf Girl's lack of interest in Wolverine was explained by Sabertooth. It explained everything. And the poisoned skin girl figured if Lupa and Victor really were mates, well then they should be together. But if he wasn't welcome at the mansion because of her kidnapping, Lupa would surely leave with him. Rogue desperately hoped that if the adults present in Xavier's office saw she didn't have a problem with Victor, they'd be more willing to allow him to stay, thus hopefully keeping Lupa at the school as well.

"Besides, Lupa's my friend an' if he's gonna be in her life, then I'll jus' have tah get used to 'im, right?" Logan felt a rush of pride for his Stripes, while at the same time feeling a stab of fear. _Could_ Sabertooth be trusted around the kids? Was Jean right? Well, he sure as hell wouldn't test it with Rogue. This girl was akin to a daughter or a sister to him and he knew she felt the same about him. They were something like a family and had swiftly adopted Lupa into their fold as well. Wolverine opened his mouth, prepared to holler out a resounding 'No!'

But before he, or any of the teachers could burst out and reject their student's offer, Charles raised one hand to stall them.

"Thank you, Rogue. You are very kind and brave to make such an offer. But I am afraid I am going to have to decline it. I would prefer it if Cyclops and Storm handle this. Later though, I am sure Lupa will want to introduce you to Victor. It is entirely your decision whether or not to meet him however. It may seem odd, but I do believe that once he sees how she cares for you, he will be…accepting of your relationship. I would also not be surprised if he takes you under his protection somewhat. From what I saw of Mr. Creed's mind earlier, 'pack' is very important to him, and you are part of Lupa's 'pack,'" Xavier smiled a bit, trying to lighten the mood.

"Why don't we reschedule our session for tomorrow, once we return from the museum. We can work on your feral hearing then," The Professor proposed.

Rogue grinned and nodded once, "OK. Tomorrow then, aftah the field trip. Thanks Professah!" She turned gracefully, winked at Logan and then exited Xavier's office.

All the teachers exhaled in relief knowing the teen wouldn't be Victor's escort, each having been caught completely off guard at her offer. Both Ororo and Charles were pleased with the girl's acceptance of the presence of her one-time kidnapper, while Scott remained determinedly Not Happy. Logan, who had long ago learned never to place a bet on a woman's actions (they were simply too damn contrary), just smiled. Pleased with his kid's maturity and especially with Chuck's smooth and gentle rejection of her offer. Jean was strangely torn between shock and horror at her student's actions and a general feeling of anger at the day's overall events.

"Before Storm and Scott go, I want to explain the rules I will be setting out for Mr. Creed. One, he is restricted to the teacher's wing, the kitchen, the gardens and the Danger Room, though he may only be there with two X-Men chaperones. Two, unless he is sparring, he will not direct violence or verbal threats toward anyone during his stay. Three, he is not allowed to speak to the students except for Rogue if she so chooses. Four, he may not contact any employers or associates nor conduct any _business_ during his stay here. Does anyone have any suggestions or comments?" Xavier asked.

"How long ya gonna let him stay?" The Wolverine ground out.

"I will give him five days before he must move on, with Lupa or without her."

Logan nodded, as did all the other teachers. The chosen two emissaries looked at each other before leaving their former teacher's office. Dr. Gray swiftly made her own exit to the labs, head down and lost in thought. As Logan turned to leave as well, Xavier called out to him, "James, will you stay for a moment? I thought you might like to speak further on this matter."

"As long as he behaves I won't…give 'im a hard time, OK?" The slightly disgruntle Wolverine promised. He began to pace again, up and down the carpet, "I still don't know if I believe that he's her, _mate_. An' I doubt she knows about what kinda man he really is, 'bout his past an' all."

"Your past, you mean? You spent approximately 150 years with him, I would say you have a shared past," Charles countered.

"Well then what about the last 20 years? Fuck! What he's done jus' in the last couple decades, huh? We all know his reputation. We've all heard the stories and the rumors! We know what he's capable of!" Logan's arms were tensed straight against his sides with clenched fists, he wasn't exactly angry at the Professor, Chuck just happened to be talking, and in the area.

"I do not condone what he has done, I have read all the police reports, the eyewitness statements, the military records and seen the photographic evidence of his crimes. He has done many evil things. Both in war and in his quest to find you and Lupa. I am merely asking you to acknowledge the fact he is your brother. Your only remaining blood family. He is only one who can truly answer your questions. And if he is Lupa's mate, I do not think she will choose to separate from him. If you wish to remain a part of her life, you will need to accept his presence in it," Xavier gently explained, trying to make the Wolverine understand.

"Yeah, well, we'll see I guess. I'm gonna go check on Rogue, make sure she's really OK with him bein' here. I'll see ya at dinner, Chuck," Logan grumbled as he left the office.

OoOoOoOoO

Laying on the bed, just as he was wondering which of the X-Men would show up as ambassador/escort/guard, Victor's enhanced hearing picked up the sound of approaching footsteps falling on the outside hallway carpet. Creed was torn between smirking because his instincts were dead on once again, or scowling because he'd have to leave Lupa's side. She needed to heal up fast so he could get her to one of his hideouts. That meant no stressful meetings, no angry confrontations, no interrogations and her eating and getting a shitload of sleep.

Victor's inner debate was interrupted by a very polite knocking. If that didn't give her away, the smell of lighting bolts and rain seeping from underneath Lupa's door certainly did. A male scent was present too - intense heat without flame and desperate earnestness. Not Logan, but Summers.

The male feral looked over at his baby girl, she was still deeply asleep. Regretfully drawing back from her warm, soft body, Victor stood and slipped on his dark jeans and undershirt before walking to the door. Even though he knew it was for the best and that this meeting had to happen, Sabertooth hated leaving his mate behind, alone and unprotected. But he bottled those rebellious feelings, this shit had to be done and that's all there was to it.

Victor opened the door with a sinister grin and casually leaned against the door frame. He towered more than a foot over the diminutive Weather Witch and had at least five inches over a good sized Cyclops. The lightly bloodstained white wife beater and revealed fangs did nothing to lessen his overall menacing appearance. The mercenary held one clawed finger up to smirking lips, "_Shhh._" A mocking warning not to disturb the sleeping woman behind him.

"Hello there kiddies. What can the Big Bad Sabertooth do for you today?" Creed drawled out, his voice low and even.

"Professor Xavier would like to speak with you in his office if that is acceptable to you," Ororo pleasantly - and quietly - replied. She refused to be ruffled by him. Storm believed she now understood what made him into the man he was today, and that insight made her feel confident and secure in how to handle him: with respect and directness.

Scott stayed mute, standing just behind his fellow teacher. He maintained a neutral expression but was trying to discreetly see if he could spot Lupa from behind the enormous feral blocking her doorway. So far, no luck, the man was too damn big.

Victor's eyes snapped over to the obviously snooping Cyclops. "She's sleepin'," he growled, not eager to share any information on the Wolf Girl. "Took a nasty hit from your boy Wolverine," Sabertooth folded his arms over his chest, his cocky grin turning into a fierce scowl at the memory of her injury, at the memory of his fear and her pain.

"Bastard," Scott spat out under his breath, he planned on having words with Logan after delivering Creed to Xavier. He was lucky he hadn't killed Lupa with that stunt!

Surprisingly, Cyclops' comment restored Victor's smirk. He was pleased to see someone else besides him was pissed at the Runt. Plus young Scotty had hit the nail right on the head with his chosen expletive. "Gimme a sec," Creed husked as he firmly, but noiselessly, shut the door in the teachers' faces.

The Sabertooth held in a snarl as he looked over his woman still sleeping blissfully unaware of the drama brewing outside her door. He hated to leave her alone and unprotected but nothing could be done. Quickly Victor threw on his boots and draped his black coat over his mate's prone body. If she woke while he was gone, he wanted her to know he'd be back - the coat hopefully would reassure her of that. He leaned down to brush his lips against her own soft mouth, tucked an errant curl behind her ear and then stalked out of the room.

The two X-Men were waiting beside a large old fashioned grandfather clock, a few feet from the doorway. Storm smiled a little, "I don't think we've ever been formally introduced, Mr. Creed. I am Ororo Munroe and this is Scott Summers. If you'll just-"

Completely dismissing the woman speaking, Victor turned his attention to the clock next to her. It had to be near 500 pounds and stood maybe nine feet tall. It'd do in a pinch. He strode forward, wrapped his arms around the wooden body and carried it over to block Lupa's doorknob. It'd take a super-strong mutant or at least three human soldiers to move that puppy. Either way, moving it would make enough noise to alert his mate of intruders.

Finished and satisfied at his work, Victor faced the dumbfounded X-Men and barked, "Well, let's get goin'. I ain't leavin' her alone here fer long, that'd be jus' askin' fer trouble. Who knows what kinda fuckin' people ya let inta this damn school?" Sabertooth snickered heartily at his own little joke, enjoying the look of barely suppressed fury warring with indignation on Cyclops' mug. He knew _that_ one at least must of put up a fuss at having the Evil Victor Creed over for a play date.

"Of course, Mr. Creed. Just follow us this way," Storm continued as if without interruption, a small amused smile on her face. She was pleased to see the Sabertooth at least had a sense of humor, it bode well for her friend Lupa's future.

OoOoOoOoO

As Victor was escorted back to Lupa's room by Laser Beam Boy and the Weather Witch, he couldn't help feeling satisfied with his hour long chat with Charlie Boy. They'd both agreed their mutual priority was the Wolf Girl, her healing up and her making her own decisions regarding her future. For Sabertooth this meant his baby girl wouldn't be stopped when she left with him, while for the Professor it meant Lupa could freely choose to continue staying at the school. As for the rules Xavier had come up with for him, they weren't too bad, Creed reflected. Not to mention kind of flattering in a fucked up kind of way.

Being forbidden to interact with any of the vulnerable little students was easy, he had no desire to talk to any of the weak midget freaks he could smell stinking up most of the mansion. In fact he'd prefer to avoid them at all costs, so the first rule of staying in the approved areas and the third rule of no corrupting the kids, were no problem. A little annoying, but no problem.

Sabertooth figured the second rule of no threats or violence would be dealable, especially if they were gonna let him play in the Danger Room with some of the X-Men. He could hold his temper 'til then. Probably.

The fourth rule – how had Charles put it? Victor was not to conduct any 'business' during his stay at the school – well, that wasn't an issue either. Now that Lupa was found, Creed had no business to conduct. His entire career as a mercenary had been designed for two purposes. One, to gain information on his mate's location and two, expend some of his built up violent energy and bitter rage. The first reason was obsolete, Lupa was in his arms again, safe and protected. The second, his near omnipresent need for destruction, his thirst for violence, seemed to have faded away once he held her again. The furious, roaring, hungry fire that had burnt inside him for so long had diminished into smaller, flickering flames and glowing, bright orange coals. Ever ready to be stoked back into a raging bonfire, but for now content in their calmer, quieter smoldering.

Victor had never really sat down and planned for his life beyond finding Lupa, yet he'd always harbored a kind of far fetched fantasy of the two of them living out in the wilds, somewhere isolated but beautiful. Away from all the people who could stab you in the fucking back, the overwhelming scents and deafening noises, all the ugly confusion of civilization and humanity. Just the two of them. Creed even had a place in mind, a sweet spread of land in northeastern Canada he'd bought after they'd beaten those asshole Nazis. The brothers had chosen to separate for a few months then. Both had needed some time alone to get their heads back in order before meeting up again in Maine to be Forest Rangers of all things (Jimmy's idea) for a few years before getting run out of town (Victor's fault). Sabertooth had bought the land and built a small three room cabin before all that though. The long days and physical labor made him too tired to dream of Omaha Beach or the Blitz or last but not least of the horrors of that particular war, Stutthoff*.

Victor had made sure to return to the cabin every five to ten years for repairs and upkeep, using it as a kind of favorite solitary retreat. He kept it secret from Jimmy, one of the very few he did. Now he hoped to take Her there after she'd recovered enough. Sure Xavier said he had five days, but Victor didn't want to be here that long. Screw rebuilding some bullshit brotherly bond with Jimmy Runt, **She** was all he needed.

Finally the odd threesome was again outside the only bedroom door with a grandfather clock guarding it. The two X-Men stepped aside as Sabertooth lifted and moved the enormous antique away from the Wolf Girl's door, and back to it's original location.

"Dinner is in a little less an hour, at 6:30. I'll bring some plates up for you both, I'm sure Lupa won't feel like getting up tonight. Do either of you need anything in the meantime, Mr. Creed?" Ororo asked, with genuine interest. Neither Victor nor his beast knew exactly what to make of her. There wasn't a hint of deceit or dis-ingenuousness in her scent only earnestness and worry. Plus her eyes practically radiated understanding and kindness when she spoke. It was because of her authenticity and his own confusion towards it that Creed held in a rude, barking response. Well that and her honest concern for the welfare of his mate. Irritated the shit out of him though – not knowing her agenda or angle. Was the good Samaritan act for real?

"We're good. An' drop the 'mister' bullshit. Call me either Victor or Creed," Sabertooth husked as he opened the door and stepped halfway inside. Slyly he glanced over at Cyclops and smirked, his fangs fully exposed. "Thanks fer the tour kid, I'll be sure to tell the bossman how helpful ya were," then with twinkling eyes, he shut the door in their faces.

OoOoOoO

Victor leaned against the door, his girl was still asleep and clutching his overcoat to her. He could only see her face from her closed eyes up, the rest was buried in black fabric. Feeling like a weight had lifted off his chest and he could suddenly breathe easier, Creed tugged off his boots and blue jeans and gently climbed back under the bed covers, making sure to take the side closest to the room's only entrance point. He sat up against the headboard and as if she could sense his presence Lupa released the coat and snuggled forward until she found his warm bulk. She released a contented sigh and rested her small hands on his muscular torso. Creed allowed himself a discreet smile as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, holding her close to him.

A few minutes passed before he felt Lupa start nuzzling him and making tiny little satisfied sounds. Victor felt her little fingers rub small circles on his stomach, it was soothing and sexy at the same time. Slowly, silver eyes framed by long sooty lashes opened. She drowsily grinned at him and in response he quickly snatched her by her arms and pulled her up to rest on top of his chest. Lupa giggled which showed her long white fangs and to Creed, she seemed to glow with happiness. He bared a wolfish grin of his own.

Their eyes met and the moment became heavier, laden with deeper feelings. Still staring into his blue eyes, ever so slowly Lupa leaned down and hovered her lips centimeters above his own. Not letting her hesitate any longer, Victor closed the distance. The kiss started out gentle and soft, but soon escalated into intense passion. Lupa's lips were tingling and heat pooled in her belly as she felt her mate slide his hands to caress her face then down lower to her breasts and waist, deftly avoiding her wounds. She in turn ran her fingers through his cropped dark hair, using black talons to tease the skin on the back of his neck. Lupa was in heaven, she had never felt such pleasure in her life before! It was amazing, he was amazing.

They were both flushed and quietly panting and moaning as they explored each other. Lupa's hands slipped under Victor's shirt and traced the defined muscles of his abdomen and chest. The male feral released her lips, making Lupa momentarily whimper in disappointment, until he started sucking and kissing her neck. He ran his teeth over the smooth, tender skin and bit down just hard enough for the Wolf Girl to softly cry out his name. He groaned at the sound of it on her lips and at the salivating aroma of her innocent arousal flooding the room. Sabertooth wanted nothing more than to rip her clothes off and make her _scream_ out his name. Mark her as **his**.

But then his head snapped over to the door, he could hear light footsteps approaching outside, along with the scent of lighting strikes and hot food. That Storm chick must be back with dinner, Sabertooth cursed. He looked up at his dazed mate who seemed to have melted into him, and smiled once before brutally kissing her again. "Storm's on her way with food," he informed the trembling Lupa. "We'll finish this later, baby girl."

Lupa nodded but bit her lower lip – something that Victor found incredibly sexy as well as very endearing. He growled slightly out of irritation and frustration, yet he knew it was for the best, she needed to recover before they could go any further.

OoOoOoO

They had just finished the steak and vegetables Ororo brought up from the dining hall, and were getting comfortable on the bed again when there was a timid knock at the door. Creed held in a snarl when he caught the scent of the visitor. Lupa immediately knew who it was and grinned brightly. "That is my friend Rogue, I would love for you two to meet," the Wolf Girl ventured. She tried not to look too eager, knowing how uncomfortable Victor was at the mansion, but couldn't help herself. He of course couldn't say no when it was such a simple and earnest request, she wanted him to meet probably one of the first friends she'd had since Zsiga back in Budapest in '45.

"Fine, but she ain't staying fer long. Ya need yer rest," Sabertooth grumbled out. This was going to be bad, how the hell was Lupa going to react? Would Rogue come in with accusations and warnings? Victor could feel his stomach tightening up, could he lose her over this? Would she really understand? Would it really not matter?

As he questioned himself, Lupa gingerly got off the bed and made her way to the door, ever mindful of her wounds. Opening the door, she pulled her guest into a hug. "Rogue! I am so happy you came, I want you to meet Victor," the female feral uncharacteristically gushed, holding tightly onto the teenager's gloved hand. This small gesture cemented Marie's determination to welcome Victor. Only a very few people ever touched her willingly, even though she wore long sleeves, multiple layers _and_ gloves. Lupa never hesitated, not even after learning of Rogue's power. In fact, if anything the Wolf Girl showered more physical affection on the teen after finding out; hugging her, holding her hand, tickling her. Treating her normally. Yes, Rogue would accept the Devil himself for Lupa's sake. And perhaps that was just what she was doing now.

Creed stood up off the bed and seemed to tower over the two women, he stared at the poison skinned girl and nodded once before speaking, "We've met before."

Marie forced a smile, "Well, not officially. My name's Rogue, it's nice tah meet you Mistah Creed."

Lupa looked between the two mutants who both seemed awkward and strained. "How did you meet?" She asked, head tilted in confusion, her smile dimming a bit. She stayed next to Rogue, holding the girl's hand but was looking at her mate.

Neither answered right away. Marie because she wasn't sure exactly how to explain and Sabertooth because he was dreading the explanation. Then the strangest thing happened. Victor felt the girl's eyes on him. He turned and saw that she was looking for direction from him, for guidance in what they should say. A lot was communicated between the two of them in that moment, and both found common ground in the other. Victor could see in the teen's face that she loved Lupa immensely and only wanted her friend to be happy, even if that happiness was with him. That she didn't want to distress the woman or possibly worsen the situation by saying the wrong thing. And that she would back Creed up in whatever he chose to say.

In turn, the untouchable teenager thought she saw a flash of something in Victor's eyes, a hint of the emotions he so skillfully kept hidden. A brief glimpse of the fear and near-panic he felt at the possibility of losing Lupa over what happened at Liberty Island, because of what he'd done to Marie. And something else, a peak at his intense need for the female feral. His drive for her safety, for her happiness. This was a man who would do anything for the injured woman standing before him, perhaps even leave her if she should demand it. But then again, most teenage girls are overly romantic creatures.

Yet if nothing else, Rogue and Victor had their love for Lupa in common.

It startled the Sabertooth that the girl should trust him to fix the situation, especially since the only times she'd seen him thus far had been very bad experiences to say the least. But maybe whatever the teenager had seen in his gaze was enough. But what the hell was he going to tell Lupa? Fuck it, he'd try the truth. Didn't have much of a choice with at least two X-Men eager to spill the beans about his ugly past to his mate.

"'Member that last job I told ya 'bout? The one that's got Jimmy Runt so pissed at me? Erik needed someone, a mutant with particular powers. It was her, yer friend Rogue. He needed her fer some big plan of his an' in exchange I got some Intel on where ya were bein' held. I tracked her, found her and took her. Brought her ta Erik. I didn't care why he wanted her, didn't even ask. Jus' took the files he handed over. Whatever he did ta yer friend woulda killed her, but the Runt an' company got her out jus' in time from what I heard later. I was too busy fallin' a few hundred feet offa ole Lady Liberty after letting' Jimmy get the jump on me," Victor huffed out loud when he admitted that last part.

Creed hated this, confessing to Lupa his sins and doing it in front of someone he'd sinned against. But he'd been as truthful and straight forward as possible with her. Both Victor and his beast seemed compelled to be honest with his mate and not make some lame ass, pussy excuses. It could have been because of the bond that connected them, or maybe it was because he wanted her to have all the facts before she picked either him or the X-Men. Perhaps he did it so that should she choose him, he would always know she accepted everything about him, so he would never have any nagging, vicious doubts plaguing him. For whatever reason, unconscious or not, he'd thrown all his chips on the table and it was too goddamn late now to take it back. Victor felt the beginnings of a black hole start in his stomach and spread up to his chest. Had he just royally fucked himself over? Ruined any and all chances with his Lupa?

The Wolf Girl's sterling eyes were wide in disbelief, she released Marie's hand and sat down at her desk's chair."Is this- is that how it happened, Rogue?" A more than stunned Lupa asked her friend.

"I, I didn't know the reason he was took me was because Magneto had information on yah, but yeah, the rest of it's true, sugah. But it – it don't matter! I don't care about that! I know why he did it and I wouldah done the same as him! He did it tah save yah and I-I forgive him!" Rogue passionately defended, surprising both herself and Victor with her earnest vehemence.

Lupa was silent for several long moments.

"Baby girl?" The male feral cautiously prompted.

"I'm sorry. It is just quite a lot to take in all at once. I think, I think I'd like to go for a little walk by myself. Just in the gardens for a few minutes," the Wolf Girl answered quietly, haltingly. She was still sitting and staring blankly ahead of her, an odd expression on her pretty, scarred face.

"No. You need ta rest. I'll leave, give ya some space an' you'll stay-" He started to say.

"NO, Victor! Don't go! Don't leave me again!" Lupa cried out desperately, rushing over to him and grabbing his rough, clawed hands. Tears flooded her eyes and threatened to overflow as she pleaded with him. She had worked herself up into a frenzy and Creed cursed both himself and the world. He felt like an idiot, of course she'd have issues with separation anxiety and abandonment, she'd spent the last 20 odd fucking years living in a goddamn cage as a science experiment!

Victor wrapped his arms around his angel's waist and clutched her to him. "Alright, alright. Don't worry, 'm not going nowhere," he comforted as best he could. Lupa began to softly cry, completely overwhelmed by the day's events. She had been reunited with her mate and stabbed in the chest by her best friend, not to mention this newest revelation. Sabertooth looked over to Rogue and jutted his chin towards the door, trying to politely hint for the girl to make tracks. Finally the teen caught on and slipped out of the room to give the ferals some privacy. He lifted Lupa up bridal style and deposited her back on the bed where she proceeded to curl up at his side.

"I'm sorry Victor, I'm just so tired and confused. So much has happened today," His baby girl apologized. She felt ashamed at herself for the way she had acted, so weak and pathetic, but honestly couldn't muster up enough energy to give much of a damn right now.

"Don't worry 'bout it. Get some sleep, things'll be clearer in the mornin'," Victor ordered. He softly started stroking her long curly mane and listened to his mate quietly slip into a deep, healing sleep, her fingers wrapped up tight in his shirt.

oOoOo

***Omaha Beach was an invasion point during the Allied invasion in Normandy, France. (Remember the first 20 minutes of **_**Saving Private Ryan**_**?)**

***The Blitz is a term coined to describe the German bombing of London during WWII. It wasn't just one raid however, but many spread over a period of several years, which devastated the city of London and it's inhabitants.**

***Stutthoff was the last concentration camp to be liberated by the Allies on May 9th 1945, at the tail end of WWII. It was actually liberated by Soviet forces, but for the sake of the story we'll pretend Logan and Victor's unit was involved as well.**

**A/N: OK, next chapter I'm going to start incorporating events from X2, plus Victor and Logan finally get to duke it out in the Danger Room! Review if want a cupcake!**

**Thank you to**

**Masked Revolt – Yay! So happy the last chapter was a success, hope this one's lives up to expectations too!**

**Obscure Stranger – LOL, glad you liked the X-Holes joke, I thought it was pretty funny myself. ;-)**

**Porcelain Destiny – Whew! I'm happy that I did the X-Men's personalities well, I had fun writing them actually. **

**Devil0Child – Here's your 'more'! Hope you like it!**

**WhiteChocolat123 – Oh W.C., how I love reading your reviews. They always make me so happy! Thanks again for the great comments!**

**booksmartblonde333 – Yeah, I kinda want Storm and Victor to get a long too, they could have a interesting 'friendship' maybe. Let me know what you think about how they interact in this chapter!**

**wolviegurl – Glad you like the shout-outs and the way I portrayed Storm. She totally rox, doesn't she?**

**HP – OK, so this chapter is the longest I've written yet, it took longer (duh) but I hope the length is good!**

**My Beautiful Ending – I'm glad you like the shout-outs, I really appreciate all the effort my readers put into their reviews so I like to do something nice in return as a thanks!**

**mandya1313 – Dank U! (Flemish)**

**GhostAuthor – Dun, Dun, DUNNNNN! It was Storm and Scottie Boy! Surprise! ;-)**

**QuirkyCullen –Darling Quirkster, thanks for the input, I'm glad you like the replies!**

**Kai-Qui – Next chappie will have the big confrontation between Logan and Victor, I'm kind of nervous about it. Got any ideas/requests for the big dust up?**

**xPrincetonx – OK, I'll keep the shout-outs, but JUST for you! ;-)**

**ROGUEFURY – LOL, unfortunately I think a hatchet may be involved when Logan and Victor have their little chat. But we'll see. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Lil Mizz Blondi – I like it when he calls her 'his Lupa' too, makes me all giggly, LOL.**

**Black Rose Kalli – Glad you liked the way I portrayed the X-Men, sometimes in stories I find them to be too perfect, you know?**

**Kori Namida – OK, so no Logan/Victor talk yet, but next chapter will have it, I promise!**

**ninjamonkey20 – here's another update for my favorite primate martial artist! ;-)**

**Bre-Wolf666 – Yeah, I wanted to make Victor sort of more understood, but not make him into something he isn't. He can definitely still be a bastard, but never with Lupa.**

**HelHound – Hey thanks again for catching the plot hole in the last chapter regarding Victor's enhanced hearing. Totally blanked out on it! **

**LiveFreeDieWell – Yeah, things have been a little slow the last couple chapters, but I hope this chapter and the next speed things up!**

**kungfupandabear – So glad you liked the update, I was kind of nervous about that last chapter.**

**chrissyissy – Nope, not Rogue but that'd be a great plot twist! And I adore Rogue, she was always my favorite!**

**Masanya – Thanks for the support, I think I'll keep doing the shout-outs just cause they're fun and I like to show people I appreciate them reviewing!**

**Also thanks to Devil0Child, Aurae Riordi, kierra666, ROGUEFURY, unseenpunkgirl, darklittleangel93, BrownEyedDevil and Captain Ricciondel for favorting/alerting!**


	15. 14 Sliced Skin & Spilled Blood

**A/N: I am soooo sorry for the delay in posting this chapter! It took longer than usual (much longer) because I wanted to make sure I got this right. I feel pretty good about it now so I figured I better update. I haven't had time to do personal shout-outs but I will re post this chapter in the next couple days with them, promise! I just figured you guys would want the chapter as soon as I was finished writing, so here it is! Hope you like it!**

Chapter 14

Sliced Skin and Spilled Blood

Lupa woke softly and slowly early the next morning. There had been no bloodstained bad dreams for her, a rare occurrence in her life nowadays. And she discovered during the night she had practically molded herself to Victor. Her still slightly too thin arms were wrapped tight around his torso, her cheek resting above his _thump_, _thump_, _thumping_ heart. She could tell he was already awake though her eyes remained shut. She guessed it was not long after sunrise. The Wolf Girl made no move to get up and start their day, she was much too comfortable snuggled up next to and pillowed on top of the warm, muscly bulk of Victor. An unconscious smile curved her pink lips and a satisfied growl vibrated in her mate's chest in response.

Sabertooth was thoroughly enjoying himself that awakening. The first thing that graced his eyes had been his woman sprawled across his chest like a blanket. She was clutching him to her and surprisingly, neither Creed nor his beast really minded. Though admittedly the male feral did feel like he should be experiencing some kind umbrage at her presumption, and a tiny little voice from deep within the recesses of his mind did whisper to him to teach this frail a lesson, show her he wasn't some fucking stuffed animal she could grab at without permission. Victor pushed that voice back down where it belonged.

As he watched Lupa in the minutes before she woke, the male feral couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so peaceful, so content. Something almost approaching happiness.

It wasn't like a daisies and rainbows and fluffy little kittens kind of happiness, though. No rose colored glasses here. The kind of man, or beast, Creed was could never really be 'Happy' in the normal sense. At least not for long. Something would always reach out from the unexpected void to strike it down. Whether it was an enemy from his past or from his own fuck ups, it was inevitable. If Victor believed in karma he'd blame it on that, but having lived as long as he had, the Sabertooth knew there was no such thing. He'd known too many evil bastards who'd died of old age, tucked in their warm, cozy beds. If he had believed in an afterlife, he would've hoped for comeuppance there.

If Victor were a 'better man' (or at least had he been Jimmy) he probably would have removed himself from Lupa's life as soon as he found her safe and out of Stryker's clutches. Given her a chance at a normal life, a life with a man who deserved her. Victor knew he wasn't that guy. He'd never be anything but what he was now, an animal trapped inside a man's body. He couldn't, wouldn't and didn't know how to be anything else. Didn't particularly want to. He wasn't a fucking house cat and even if he'd ever had the potential at some point in his life, it'd been beaten out of him when he was cub by his bastard of a father.

Naw, this...'happiness' Creed was feeling currently, it was calmer and more grounded than some kind of giddy excitement or a passing thrill. It wasn't like the heady, thick anticipation he'd always felt just before going into a battle, the hot eagerness for destruction and blood and death – what he'd always equated to happiness before. Now he and his animal felt relaxed. Comfortable. Content. Complete. Sated. And though he'd never admit it, even after a thousand years of torture, he also felt something else. Something like being wanted, being needed and something like...safety. Whatever the fuck that meant anymore, had he ever known? But hell, he'd fucking purred when the first thing Lupa did when she woke, even before opening her starry eyes, was smile. That had to say something about his current mood, didn't it? _Fuck._

Neither feral had spoken, but Lupa finally did let the world in and lifted her eyelids. They stayed in bed, silently committing the moment to memory, carving it into the very walls of their minds and memories. Just basking in the quiet joy of being together. Lupa decided then that today she would ask Victor to tell her everything. She had already made her decision regarding the future of their relationship, yet knew she needed to hear whatever he was willing to share with her. Maybe he even needed to tell her. She still wasn't sure how she _felt_ about the previous night's revelations besides shock with a side of disbelief, but put all of it aside right then. After lunch they could speak, the mansion would be mostly empty, the students on a field trip with Xavier, Storm and Scott as chaperones. Logan, Jean, Lupa and now Victor were staying behind with a few students and to guard the school. They could speak then, in the gardens. Until then the Wolf Girl made up her mind to simply enjoy her time with her mate.

Victor was thinking along similar lines. He concluded that until Lupa brought up the subject from last night, he wouldn't either. Ball in her court, and all. Besides, Sabertooth knew no matter what, she would never be apart from him again, he'd see to it. He would let nothing stand in his way, not even her.

oOo

A knock came a little after seven, stirring the drowsing ferals. "Lupa? V-Victor? Are ya'll awake?" Rogue asked tentatively through the wooden door. "I, I thought I could make yah a southern breakfast before all the students head off tah the museum. Everybody's eatin' in the dinin' hall so it'd jus' be the three of us."

The teen was eager to check on her friend's condition and to see how things were between Lupa and Victor too. Last night had not exactly been going well before she'd left to give the mates some privacy. But Marie was mindful of the awkward and _delicate_ circumstances surrounding Mr. Creed's presence at the school – the kitchen would be deserted and they could relax there. Her, Lupa and...Sabertooth. Though Marie did mean it when she proclaimed she forgave Victor the previous evening, she couldn't help but feel a little (OK, maybe more than a little) shiver of fear run down her spine whenever she thought of him. He was dangerous, unpredictable, incredibly strong and had no master, she'd be an idiot not to fear him on some level. Yet the Professor had said he thought Creed would accept the untouchable girl since Lupa was close to her. Rogue chose to trust the Professor over her instinctual fears of the mutant more animal than man.

The door opened and a smiling, sleepy eyed Lupa wearing one of Ororo's old nightgowns hugged the teenager close. "That would be wonderful, Rogue. Victor and I shall meet you in the kitchen in a few minutes once we have dressed," the female feral warmly replied. The male feral was still laying on the bed behind the females, bare chested and blank faced, his blue eyes assessing the girl. If it had been anyone else he'd have ripped their fingernails out for disturbing them so early. But as it was the kid, his hands were tied. Baby Girl did have an unusual fondness for that skunk-haired girl. Something Creed was going to have to work around and factor into his planning accordingly.

Rogue was so happy to see her friend looking better that she practically skipped out of the room down to the kitchen. All her worries about Victor temporarily forgotten at the chance to spend time with her idol, her friend, mentor and mother figure all wrapped in one. Lupa shut the door behind Marie and turned to face her mate. She smiled softly at him before padding into her bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. As she started to attempt to wrangle her messy locks under control Sabertooth watched from the bed. A half grin grew into an all out smirk as an increasingly frustrated Lupa tried to tame the wild curls with a tiny plastic comb. Slowly and still silent, he walked behind her and rested heavy palms on her shoulders.

The Wolf Girl leaned back into his warm, solid mass and let her hands fall down to rest at her sides. They each spent a moment breathing in the other. Then, ever so gently, Victor used his long tawny claws to comb and untangle her stubborn but glorious mane. He watched Lupa's reflection in the mirror above the sink and when she closed her eyes in languor, a lazy look of enjoyment on her scarred face, that old feeling of glowing warmth started in his belly. And _fuck,_ how goddamn good did she smell? He'd never forgotten her unique scent, but his memory of it was a poor substitute for the real thing. She was peaches and sunshine and warmth and **Home**.

Even after all the knots and tangles were brushed out Victor continued petting and stroking the strands. Reveling in how the curls wrapped themselves around his large fingers, holding him to her. He was only half aware his own stalling as his inner cat was incredibly content grooming his mate. Finally the Sabertooth pulled his calloused, clawed paws out from the soft mass of ringlets and growled lowly in unsatisfied hunger. Creed was fuck all surprised when he realized the hunger wasn't just sexual either, he craved _her_. Her touch, the feel of her hot, sweet breath on his chest as she slept, the sound of her husky voice, her tranquility and inherent grace. He felt a need, a pull, a drive to grab hold of her and never let go. Surround her and draw her inside himself where she could be safe and protected and always with him.

Creed also felt an almost compulsion to hold Lupa to him in someway, to keep physical contact in any form. He noticed that if he was near her but kept separate, after a few minutes a strange sensation would start building inside of his ribcage. It didn't hurt exactly, it was more like the feeling just before pain hit, the _anticipation_ of pain. He hadn't yet asked if she felt the same, if she had to touch him or the sensation of _almost pain_ would come. Sabertooth didn't like the thought of that, not of his mate suffering. But at the same time he was pleased at the notion of another bond forming between them, another show of their connection. Was this perhaps another one of those 'mate' things, he wondered.

oOo

As they walked down the empty corridors, Lupa slipped her her hand into the crook of Victor's elbow – she wasn't yet sure how receptive he'd be to hand holding but felt a need to touch him. It was moments like this that made the Wolf Girl ache for a time where they could just be together, to have the chance to learn about each other, preferences, dislikes, habits and manners. Things that can only be learned through living together and the passage of time. How he liked his coffee, did he prefer sunrises or sunsets, if he used up all the hot water like his brother used to, or if he would accept such a public display of affection as holding hands. Lupa settled for the old fashioned display of chivalry, that of escorting a lady to her destination by the arm.

Victor appeared unnoticing.

Eating breakfast was strained at first, Creed steadfastly silent and stoic, Lupa quieter than normal and in turn, Rogue painfully eager. The ferals behavior had prompted the girl's own determinedly positive and upbeat attitude. Victor was almost amused at how delicately the two women avoided any topic that might be awkward or taboo. Instead the teenager told stories of her friend and what the female feral had been doing since her rescue. Lupa elaborated on subjects Sabertooth expressed interest in. Marie was quite impressed with the Wolf Girl's ability to read the mercenary's body language. A tiny curve to his lips and a tilt of the head when heard how she dressed-down a student who was spreading rumors about Rogue, led to Lupa providing more details of the incident. When he crossed his legs after learning she helped Scott teach two of his classes, or when his claws extended a couple inches after he heard Rogue praise Lupa's meager weight gain, the nearly 170 year old woman discreetly and skillfully moved the conversion along.

Storm was the first of the X-Men to show up. Her excuse was for coffee and to remind her student about what time the vans were leaving for the museum. Eight-thirty on the dot. Of course everyone knew she was really checking to make sure Sabertooth hadn't gone ape shit. But as both the kitchen walls and Mr. Creed's claws were blood-free, the weather witch departed having satisfied her concerns and procured a cup of coffee.

Gradually all three mutants became more comfortable and relaxed again after the interruption. Conversation flowed easier and now Victor was beginning to ask questions and verbally participate. Rogue's grins weren't as forced and Creed lost his stiff posture. Lupa's smiles were brighter and more frequent. It was of course then that Logan made an appearance, standing awkwardly by the kitchen door, "Kid, the vans are leavin' fer the museum in 30, best get ready."

Creed couldn't hold in a chuckle at the sight of a mothering, domesticated Wolverine. "Yer apron strings are showing, Runt," he snickered.

Logan shot him a dark look, "So are yer fangs."

"I'm ready now, got my bag an' everythin'. I'll head over after I'm done with breakfast. I still got plenty of time, sugah," Marie smiled impishly hoping to keep Logan's attention on her and not his elder brother. She knew he didn't want her around Victor but it was _her_ choice, not his. Even the Professor had said so! Though the teen was relieved to see her pseudo father figure didn't put up more of a fuss. Instead Logan drew up another chair to the table and sat down, intent on guarding 'his girls.' He poached a piece of bacon off his kid's plate and avoided looking in Sabertooth's direction. After that the ladies kept up the conversation, the brothers keeping silent and sullen faces.

Not 10 minutes later Jean waltzed in, completely ignoring everyone but her former patient (attempting to thereby deftly avoid all present drama). "Naj-I mean Lupa, I would like to examine your wounds sometime today; check your rate of healing and the current extent of the damage, if that's alright with you," the telepath stated, going into full doctor-mode.

Victor growled at the idea of his mate being inspected by this woman, he could smell her derision and distaste for him, and to a lesser extent for Lupa, from across the room. She felt smugly superior to everyone present, he didn't have to be psychic to figure that out. Quickly though his irritation transferred over to Jimmy Runt, after all he was the one to inflict said damage. "Slow hands, Runt, still got slow, sloppy hands..." Creed drawled under his breath.

The intended target still heard him and visibly tensed before retorting back, "Didn't figure ya were the type ta hide behind ladies, Creed."

Victor started to growl again. Logan clenched his fists.

Doctor Gray heard but choose to ignore the rumbles and by-play. Instead keeping her eyes on the Wolf Girl she cleared her throat noisily.

"Perhaps this afternoon, Doctor?" Lupa offered. She moved her arm under the table and the growls died out.

The female feral was thankful Victor had stopped snarling after she rested her hand on his thigh.

"That sounds fine," the redhead answered. She had been worried it'd be a lot harder getting the feral to agree to a physical. She could be extremely stubborn regarding everything relating to doctors, hospitals or examinations. Of course Jean could appreciate the trauma Lupa had been through previously, particularly at the hands of physicians, but really, the girl was perfectly safe now, here at the mansion.

"I will-" Lupa started but was interrupted by the scuff of Victor's leather boots against the tile floor. "_We_ will stop by the Med Lab sometime after lunch then. Thank you, Jean." Lupa smiled at the doctor who hurried out of the kitchen after nodding at Rogue and glancing at Logan.

After another few moment of awkward silence Lupa spoke, "I was thinking I could show you the grounds after breakfast, Victor. And perhaps, perhaps Logan could join us. He knows the property so much more so than I." The Wolf Girl looked up at her mate, hope in her eyes.

But before Creed answered, even before he opened his mouth really, Logan jumped in. "Actually I was thinkin' I could show 'im around myself. Let ya take a nap or sum'thin. Yer still healin' an' all."

"No thanks ta you..." Victor barely mumbled.

Logan only just barely stopped himself from reaching across the table and ripping his brother's throat out. As it was his chair scraped against the floor.

Lupa sighed and Rogue held her breath but Wolverine stayed calm and ignored Sabertooth. "Whatcha think, darlin'?" He kept his brown eyes locked on sterling silver ones.

The Wolf Girl looked away from Jimmy Runt and turned to her mate. Silently she asked him his opinion. Lupa knew she'd have to tread carefully so as not to appear to as if she were choosing between the ferals, between brothers. She was also judging whether or not she could trust them alone together. Victor almost imperceptively lowered his chin, subtlety telling her he'd go along with Logan's plan. Lupa nodded, "Alright. After breakfast I'll go back to my room and you can show your brother around." It wasn't lost upon Logan that she purposely used the word 'brother.'

"Be a pleasure..." Wolverine sarcastically grunted with more than a little malevolence.

"James!" Lupa snapped in admonishment, making Victor snicker loudly while wearing a shit-eating grin, fangs exposed and all.

"Victor!"

Suddenly both men felt much younger. But they hid their discomfort with grim faces.

Conversation between the two women limped along as they washed the dishes and cleaned off the table. The two men were behaving as children and were locked in a staring contest. Both Lupa and Marie had decided to ignore them, thoroughly fed up by their verbal volley of mutual antagonism. The female feral knew that the only thing to do was to let them hash it out between themselves. She did not like it, but that was what had to happen. The brothers' relationship was like an infected wound that needed to be lanced in order to drain the poison out. Violence was the only way now. The Wolf Girl sighed, feeling the weight of her years and the resulting earned wisdom resting heavily on her shoulders. Perhaps a nap was a good idea...

It was then that the last but not least of the X-Men showed up. Cyclops took in the scene before him, more than a little concerned. Rogue and Lupa were putting away dishes while Sabertooth and Wolverine faced off over the kitchen table, tension was pretty thick right then. The lack of obvious blood splatter relieved him though.

"Rogue, the vans are leaving in 10 minutes, you should probably head over there," Scott firmly told the teenager, wanting to get her out of there in case either of the men blew.

"Alright, alright. Your jus' the fourth person tah come an' check on me," Marie moaned as only an adolescent can. She hugged Lupa, winked at Logan, shyly smiled at Victor and stuck her tongue out at her teacher before scurrying out of the room.

"Lupa. Logan...Victor." Scott acknowledged the three ferals with a serious nod then turned on his heel and made a strategic retreat.

The female feral turned to her mate and his brother. "Can I trust you two by yourselves?" She asked with perfect seriousness, looking each dead in the eye.

"Promise we won't burn the place down, baby girl." Victor purred, making Logan want to gag.

"Then we shall meet here for lunch at noon," Lupa replied. Again she locked gazes with both men and silently let them know they were not fooling her. She knew exactly what was going to happen and exactly what they were up to. Then with all the elegance and presence of a queen, the Wolf Girl swept out of the kitchen.

oOo

Wolverine didn't give much of a tour to his brother, he just stood up and started walking. He knew Victor would follow. But then again Sabertooth didn't mind in the least, he hadn't been expecting a guided tour complete with narration. He trailed after the shorter man down hallways and corridors, into a hidden elevator. Again the two men had unconsciously resumed their former method of silent understanding and communication. They both knew exactly where they were going and why.

Creed figured the so called Danger Room was maybe 50 feet underground, give or take. It was impressive: an enormous white room capable of simulating almost any place in the world, complete with rain, fog, snow or wind as well as a plethora of pre-programmed opponents. He didn't figure they'd be using it though, no need for a fancy locale, a plain white room was fine. Victor looked over at his little brother and smiled as he began to walk in circles around him, "Nice place ya got here, Runt. Sweet little setup, if I do say so m'self. Can see why my girl likes it here...Too bad we ain't stayin'."

"She's not your girl and yer not takin' her away," Logan coldly answered, turning his body as Victor stalked him.

"Really now? Well, that's where yer wrong, little brother. She's **mine** and she'll be leavin' with me once that Doc of yers gives her the all clear," Sabertooth husked with a knowing, satisfied smirk.

"She doesn't _belong_ to you like some goddamn doll! You don't _own_ her!" Wolverine shouted loudly. Logan felt his claws begging to be released as his brother stopped circling and faced him.

Hearty laughter was the response. "Own her? I more than _own_ her." Suddenly all his good humor vanished in an instant and he roared out his next words, "She's bone of my bone! Flesh of my flesh! She's more myself than I am! Whatever our souls are made of, hers and mine are the same. She's MINE and you will _not_ keep her from me!" Then the Sabertooth launched himself at Logan with extended yellowed talons and rage in his eyes.

Wolverine planted his feet and absorbed all 250 pounds of feline feral, taking a hard right hook to the jaw in the process. Wrapping his arms around Victor's torso, he used the other man's forward momentum to fling him into the wall. Creed managed to shift his body at the last second and dug his nails into the white paneling, clinging to it like a cat to a tree. He smirked at his brother and launched off the wall, dropping to the floor with feline grace. He stood there, this time letting Wolverine come to him. Jimmy did not disappoint: he surged forward and used his metal claws to slice three deep gashes in Creed's chest while Victor used his own claws and scored a glancing blow to Logan's throat. Blood cascaded down Jimmy's t-shirt as he fell back, matching the crimson stains on the other man's chest. Sabertooth kept moving to continue the attack. But his brother's neck wound healed faster than he anticipated, enabling the Runt to thrust both sets of claws into his brother's stomach and kick him back some 10 feet. Creed remained on the ground for no more than a second before he was on his feet again, a frightening grin on his face.

"Don't tell me ya didn't miss this, Runt," Sabertooth chuckled baring bloodstained teeth.

"Yer an animal, Creed, a fuckin' monster! Ya don't deserve her, ya don't even deserve ta be in the same room as her!"

Victor let out a charming chuckle, "What gave me away?" Then he snarled and his laugh turned bitter, "'Course I fucking don't deserve her, boy! Don't mean I ain't keepin' her." He smiled a devil's smile, his blue eyes icy.

Logan saw red and ran at Creed, blocking a left uppercut and slashing his right claws across his opponent's face. Victor roared, the wounds on his cheek deep enough to reveal glimpses of his back teeth. They wouldn't take long to heal, one, two minutes, still stung like a sonuvabitch though. But Jimmy had also managed to slice Sabertooth's left eye, that would take a little more time to fix and screwed with his depth perception in the meantime. The handicap only pissed the giant feral off further, especially when his little brother started to taunt him about it as they continued battling, "_Ha!_ Looks like we got a couple of Cyclops at the mansion now! Guess you'll be spendin' more time with Scooter. You two'll get along just _great_."

"Yeah, two peas in a fuckin' pod," Creed snorted. He whipped his leg out in a side kick and smashed Logan's knee backwards, ripping ligaments and tearing muscle. A horrifying _snap_ sounded and Jimmy dropped to the ground howling. "Oops. Guess you'll be hangin' out with Charlie Boy now, huh, Runt?"

Ignoring the pain, Wolverine rose and continued fighting, albeit with a bad limp that took precious minutes to heal. As the brothers exchanged blows, an observer might notice how the smaller Logan relied on his speed and agility while Victor favored his brute strength and power. Not to mention each set of their claws: indestructible, razor sharp Adamantium blades versus extendable nails hard and tough enough to cut through sheet metal. The fight seemed fairly even, each feral getting in good shots, taking advantage of the others' weaknesses. One brother would go on the offensive and land punishing strikes while the other would take the hits for a bit, letting major wounds heal and waiting, watching for the right moment, the perfect opportunity to attack. Creed helped keep things interesting by adding his fangs into the mix of weapons, biting and tearing whatever flesh and skin he could reach.

"Blood's tastin' a little bland there, brother. Are ya getting enough fatty acids in yer diet? Have ya tried lake trout? Mackerel?" Victor teased as he licked his Logan's blood from his lips, winking with his recently healed eye.

Jimmy managed to land a hard punch to Creed's ribcage and smiled when he felt the bones break. But then Victor grabbed his wrist as he pulled it back and swung the arm behind Jimmy's back, snatching his other arm up as well and pressing both wrists down in a submission hold. The Runt might be unbreakable but he wasn't stronger than his bigger big brother. He felt Creed's hot whispering breath in his ear, "I ever tell you how good _she_ tastes?" Logan struggled harder. "Guess if'n I did you'da forgotten...She's sweet, like peaches an' cream."

Wolverine lost it, he dislocated his own shoulders to break the hold and roared as he turned to Sabertooth, his healing factor already popping the joints back into place. "I won't let you take her, you bastard!" Logan howled as he plowed into Victor, both sets of metal claws thrust in his rival's sides. The fight stepped up a notch, the men losing track of the time, absorbed by their battle and mutual rage.

"Actually, technically **yer** the bastard..." Creed grunted as he yanked Wolverine's blades out of his body. He raked his clawed hands hard across Logan's face and smiled at the sight of split skin and spilled blood. They separated and backed apart before beginning to circle each other.

Victor relished the knowledge Jimmy wouldn't fully understand his comment and it somehow tasted sweeter than landing the physical blow. Suddenly old memories of all the sacrifices he'd made, all the pain and hunger and exhaustion he'd gone through to make sure the Runt didn't go without, it all crashed into his mind like waves upon jagged rocks.

"Ya always were a whiny little runt, this whole fuckin' thing is all yer fault!" Sabertooth crouched down lower as they continued to dance around the other, he was getting lost in the emotions, in his bitterness and anger and feelings of betrayal, abandonment. The animal was beginning to come out and it showed in his slinking, predatory movements.

"MY fault? We were fine until you came! She never woulda gotten hurt if you hadn't shown up! It's yer fault things are fucked!" Jimmy snarled back, forgetting he had asked the Professor to find him.

"**You** let her get caught by those soldier boys all those years ago. **You** fell fer Stryker's lies and turned yerself into a goddamn science experiment with shiny bones! **You** believed I betrayed my mate an' you on Stryker's word alone! Yer own fuckin' brother! Who took care of ya growing up, huh? Who starved so you could eat? Who worked so ya would have a fuckin' roof over yer head? Who protected ya and took beatin's for ya? Kept ya warm and watched yer back? **ME**!" Victor roared the last word before he snarled out his next ones, "Then you go and get yerself shot in the head, lose yer fuckin' mind and disappear fer going on 25 goddamn years! Fuck yeah it's yer fault!"

Logan didn't have much time to process his brother's words because not a second passed before Sabertooth pounced at him like an animal, on all fours, fangs and claws bared. They exchanged blows for a few minutes, each landing powerful shots but neither gaining any ground against the other. Finally one of Victor's blows slipped past Wolverine's block and his claws ripped open Jimmy's throat, this wound better aimed and much worse than the one at the very start of their fight. But as Jimmy started to crumple, he thrust all six of his metal blades into Creed's belly, slashing down and outwards to cause maximum damage. Logan was pleased to see the larger man howl in agony, his flesh ripped open gorily.

They both collapsed to ground at the same time, panting heavily, which was more like gurgling for Logan as his throat was so torn up. Silence reigned for almost a full five minutes as the two ferals let their healing factors kick in and they contemplated everything that had just happened. Finally Logan broke the quiet with a raspy voice, "Truce, for now?"

Victor sighed and let a little hint of a growling chuckle escape, "Yeah. Truce. Fer now." He hadn't had a good fight like that in _years_, damned if he wouldn't enjoy one like it again sometime soon...

They were each nearly healed when suddenly the doors to the Danger Room burst open revealing Jean Gray. Instantly both men stood and were on guard. The doctor was pale and almost shaking as she stared desperately at Wolverine, "Logan, thank god! Please come quick!"

"What! What's wrong?" Jimmy was near panic, was there an attack on the mansion? Was a student hurt? Did something happen at the museum?

But the telepath's breathless answer chilled the brothers to their bones, "It's Lupa."

oOo

**A/N: Yes, I am leaving it there. Please don't hurt me! Events from X-2 will be in the next chapter too. I'll try to update again very soon but remember reviews do help me find my muse! Plus reviewers get CUPCAKES!**

**Oh and I used four quotes from various places in this chapter. Normally I don't, preferring to use my own words, but for some reason in this chapter the lines kept popping up in my head as I wrote. So I finally gave in. One is actually from the movie _Origins_, though in a slightly difference context. Here are the sources: **

***"Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh." - Adam re. Eve, Genesis 2:23. (Had to look this one up, I knew it but had no idea where it was from originally, lol.)**

****" Sh****e's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, hers and mine are the same." - Heathcliff re. Cathy, ****Wuthering Heights**** by Emily Bronte.**

*****"What gave me away?" - Victor to bartender, **_**Wolverine: Origins**_**. (Thanks to ROGUEFURY for the correction!)**

******"Blood's tastin' a little bland there, brother. Are ya getting enough fatty acids in yer diet? Have ya tried lake trout? Mackerel?" Reworked line from **_**Blade: Trinity**_**, Danica Talos to Hannibal King.**

**Chapter 13 Thank Yous:**

**Broken Robot – Hey thanks for reviewing and reading both of my stories! So glad you liked my choice about how to write Victor, I know it's not canon, but it's fanfiction, right? ;-)**

**kris89 – LOL, I know, poor Logan! He really does get the short end of the stick. I liked the idea of him finding his mate though...Something for me to think about...XD**

**Porcelain Destiny – Good luck at school, study hard and don't forget to bring your teacher a nice shiny apple! ;-) I'm happy you like Lupa and Rogue's friendship, Rogue is my all time favorite female X-Man. **

**mandya1313 - ****Eskerrik asko! (Basque)**

**Storylover456 – Oh I'm so glad you like the historical tidbits I throw in, I'm such a history dork I can't really help it. ;-)**

**hiei2828 – I'm so happy you like my version of Victor, I wanted him to still be a bad ass but have the capability for affection, to be a protector, etc. Some people get pissed when a story has characters that are OOC. Thanks for the review!**

**Obscure Stranger – LOL, your reviews always make me laugh, I love reading them! And I actually find a perverse enjoyment in thinking up silly nick names for X-Men, it's fun, you should try it sometime! ;-)**

**HelHound – Yeah, Rogue will be playing a significant role in maintaining peace and serenity as events progress. I find southern women very rarely tolerate sass or bullshit. Thanks for reviewing again, you rock!**

**Masked Revolt – I adore Rogue too, she's my favorite X-Man! And I know exactly what you mean about the personal shout outs, when I read a story and an author responds to me I get sooo excited. I'm such a dork. ;-P Thanks for another thoughtful review, you're awesome!**

**Black Rose Kalli – I'm relieved I got the dialogue down, it's fun writing it but I worry sometimes it's OOC or awkward or whatever. Thanks for reviewing again, doll face!**

**Bookdreamer17 – I missed you my darling! So glad you're back! I hope the tenderness between Vic and Lupa was present in this chappie too. BTW, still LOVING your story!**

**wolviegurl – I really like Storm and it was pretty fun writing her and Victor interact, she seems like she's got a fairly low bullshit tolerance after all. I'm happy Rogue forgiving Victor went over well, I was worried it would seem phony or awkward. Thanks for reassuring me! ;-)**

**WhiteChocolat123 – OMG you leave the best reviews! I'm sooo glad that updating my story cheered you up, I don't want you to have a bad day! :-( And don't worry about Vic and Logan, I have plans for them...MUAHAHAHA! **

**booksmartblonde333 – Yeah, I think Storm did freak him out a little, he's probably never met a woman quite like her. Teachers can be like that, keep you on your toes and all. Thanks for reviewing again, sweets!**

**QuirkyCullen (and her little brother the Twirp) – LOL, you always write great reviews that make me laugh. Thank, pretty lady! Hope the fight scene lived up to anticipations!**

**GhostAuthor – Yes, I see many hours of tormenting for Scott in the near future with both brothers around, LOL. Hope you liked the fight scene, and thanks for reviewing again!**

**HP – Thanks, you rock!**

**Kai-Qui – I love ya Jami, you're awesome. And I'm glad you liked me using 'angel' as a pet name, I think it fits really well. So thanks again! ;-)**

**darklittleangel93 – OK, so I kept you waiting longer than planned but I hope the length/action makes up for the wait! Thanks for the review!**

**ROGUEFURY – LOL, I know! Vic in a wifebeater is totally having-a-fit-of-the-vapors worthy. And I'm wicked happy you liked the bit with the clock, I laughed when I wrote it! Thanks for another thoughtful review, you're an angel!**

**Wolfy Pup – Aw, you're so sweet! Thanks for the great review, I really appreciate it and I'm glad you're enjoying the story! XD**

**Imagination-Is-The-Key – OK, love your pen name, very cool. Second, glad I wrote the Victor/Rogue reunion well! Thanks for the review!**

**Aeleita – I know! Rogue rocks, I love her character! Thanks for reviewing! XD**

**ninjamonkey20 – I absolutely adore Rogue, she's totally my fave X-Man! Glad you like her and Lupa's friendship, I have so much fun writing them! And don't worry too much about Rogue and Lupa's friendship, I have plans in mind for them! ;-)**

**chrissyissy – HA! Oodles of drama in this chappie, huh? ;-) LOL, just kidding. Thanks for the review, girlie!**


	16. 15 She Alone

**A/N: Some events from X2 incorporated here, next chapter will have even more! Oh and of course I own nothing but Lupa and the plot! I make no $ from this so please don't sue!**

Recap:

_They both collapsed to ground at the same time, panting heavily, which was more like gurgling for Logan as his throat was so torn up. Silence reigned for almost a full five minutes as the two ferals let their healing factors kick in and contemplated everything that had just happened. Finally Logan broke the quiet with a raspy voice, "Truce, for now?"_

_Victor sighed and let a little hint of a growling chuckle escape, "Yeah. Truce. Fer now." He hadn't had a good fight like that in years, damned if he wouldn't enjoy one like it again sometime soon..._

_They were each nearly healed when suddenly the doors to the Danger Room burst open revealing Jean Gray. Instantly both men stood and were on guard. The doctor was pale and almost shaking as she stared desperately at Wolverine, "Logan, thank god! Please come quick!"_

_"What! What's wrong?" Jimmy was near panic, was there an attack on the mansion? Was a student hurt? Did something happen at the museum?_

_But the telepath's breathless answer chilled the brothers to their bones, "It's Lupa."_

Chapter 15

She Alone

Quick as a wink Victor closed the 20 foot distance between himself and the good doctor. He was just reaching for her pretty little neck to squeeze some answers out of her when his brother's hand wrapped around his wrist to stop him. "She can't talk if you're chokin' her ta death," Logan spat when Creed snarled at him.

Sabertooth let it go, dropped his hands and fixed his attention and ire back on the redhead, "What's wrong with Lupa?"

The men could hear her swallow, "We, we were in the Med Lab doing her exam. Everything was going well when she, when she experienced some kind of flashback and had a panic attack. I, I couldn't calm her down and when I got closer in order to sedate her, she became violent! Snarling and growling and even snapping at me like some kind of a wild thing. She's regressed into a kind of, of _feral_ state and I just ran to find you! I thought maybe you could help."

"Why the fuck was she at the Med Lab in the first place! You were supposed ta wait 'til this afternoon when I'd be there! What the fuck were ya even doing to her that set her off?" Victor roared. He was absolutely livid, how dare this woman defy his orders regarding his mate! She knew he wanted to be with Lupa during the physical but examined her without him anyway! Speaking of, he'd be having words with his mate about that too. She needed to get with the program real quick and learn to stick to the goddamn plan. Had he been there he might have been able to prevent all this shit. Not to mention the feline feral had wanted to oversee the whole thing, veto any tests that were too intrusive or unnecessary or just the ones he didn't like the idea of. Plus keep an eye on the Doc, too. He hurriedly lifted the bottom of his white wife-beater to wipe the sweat from his brow revealing washboard abs, before again glaring at Jean Gray. All the while he was running various scenarios and plans through his mind.

Jean backed up a bit at the fierce expression on Victor's face and turned to Logan for support, but saw in his eyes he was upset with her as well. She struggled to explain herself but found she couldn't speak as she looked at the brothers, only stutter. "I, I..."

"The hell with it! Where is she?" Creed barked at the useless woman.

"She's, she's in the Med Lab still hiding. I don't think she's in her right mind, you may need a sedative to-"

But Victor was gone, already racing down hallways following his mate's invisible scent trail. Logan wasn't far behind and took the lead when Sabertooth skidded to a stop at a corridor intersection, unsure to take a left or right as Lupa's scent went in both directions. Wolverine took a right. When they made it to the entrance to the medical wing the men now running side by side, slowed to a hesitant walk, not wanting to alarm their girl with a sudden arrival. They practically tiptoed into the deathly silent sterile room, Logan taking the left side and Victor searching the right. After a few moments Jimmy found Lupa hiding beneath a medical bed which was tucked in a darkened corner of the lab. When he lifted up the bed sheet blocking view of her, he saw she had wrapped her arms around her legs and buried her head between her knees, trembling just enough to be noticeable. "Vic," he grunted out quietly, neither man noticing the unconscious use of a childhood nickname.

Creed was crouched next to him in seconds and swore a few choice words under his breath, cursing Stryker, god, life, the fates and the X-Men too. He knew the Runt was worried when the little shit didn't even stiffen at the insult to his friends. And now just what the hell was he supposed to do? He'd need to see her eyes to properly assess the situation, just like their first meeting back on Three Mile Island. Check and see how far gone she was, how lost in bad memories. "Baby girl," Victor gruffed, not letting his rising anxiety color his voice, keeping it even and as gentle as he was capable of.

At first neither man thought she was going to respond, perhaps having gone into shock or even some kind of catatonic state. But then ever so slowly, ever so hesitantly, the Wolf Girl raised her head, rich brown curls partially obscuring much of her pale face though not the long scars on her cheeks or her mercury colored eyes. They were cold, sharp and flat with barely a flash of recognition as she stared into her mate's blue gaze. But they were not empty, not dead. Somewhere deep inside Lupa was hiding, too scared to come out again. This was her wolf shining through, the primal part protecting the human part by taking over and peaking out from behind silver irises.

Victor had seen it before, seen the beast in his brother's glance during and after a particularly gruesome battle when 'Jimmy' couldn't stomach anymore carnage. Or when he'd had to stop Sabertooth from going overboard when spilling blood and guts and he couldn't let himself think on what his beloved elder brother had become. What he had been carved into by life and circumstance and his own choices, else Logan might have to leave him. Creed had seen it in the faces of soldiers worn down by killing and horror and pain. The 'man' was shut down and the animal came out in order for the former to stay sane, stay alive, stay whole and unfractured. Men who had shed their humanity like skins in order to survive war, survive the ugliness and trauma and darkness of it all. Men with tainted souls who checked their compassion and empathy at the door, never letting anything reach too deep or themselves feel too much. Men whose blood ran as cold as any snake's and were running on autopilot, maybe never to come off it. Victor didn't like seeing that look on her face. Not the one he saw reflecting back at him in the mirror. He didn't like it one fucking bit.

Logan, in his worry and eagerness, foolishly chose to chime in as well when she didn't answer, "Lupa?"

She whipped her gaze over to Wolverine now and bared her teeth at him while growling a warning. Yeah, the Bitch was in charge now, feeling threatened by the presence of two larger males encroaching on her hiding spot. Victor wondered if the She Wolf recognized him as her mate, if she had that didn't exactly bode well for the situation. "Jimmy, back the fuck up," Creed ordered quietly. He was pleasantly surprised to see his brother cautiously rise from his squat and obey the order.

After Logan disappeared from her view and was heard walking a few feet away, Lupa seemed to calm a bit, or at least she stopped snarling and hid her impressive fangs again. She remained huddled, just staring off at nothing. Maybe five minutes passed before Victor felt safe enough to speak. "Ya know yer safe now, angel. As long as I'm with ya I ain't gonna let **any**thing happen to ya." She kept still, eyes glazed and vaguely unfocused from burgeoning shock.

Perhaps if Lupa had been more cognizant she would have picked up on his specific wording, _as long as he was with her_. A subtle reminder that if she hadn't gone off on her own none of this would have happened. Suddenly a thought struck him. Had she gone with the leggy Doc to..._punish_ him for fighting with his brother? He held in a laugh at the idea, strangely and absurdly pleased at the notion. He knew his mate was worthy of him. She had what folks in his time called moxie, a streak of independence and a strength of spirit in her that called to him. He knew she might bend, but never break. Creed took a deep breath and categorized all the emotions he could scent coming off her. _Fear. Anger. Pain. Confusion...Longing?_ He dropped down to the floor from his crouch, trying to get as comfortable as possible on the cold tile. Lupa snapped to attention and started to growl and hiss again at his movement, but the sound dissipated soon after she flicked her gaze up to him and saw he wasn't advancing or attacking, merely adjusting.

"You gonna stay under there all damn day or what, baby girl? I was hoping ta take a hot shower sometime soon, worked up a good sweat going a couple rounds with the Badger over there." He gestured behind him with his chin though the Wolf Girl's view of Logan was blocked. While his words were unfeeling, his tone was not. He kept it even and soft, and most of all, nonthreatening. She continued to watch him with prey's eyes, expression blank but her muscles taunt in anticipation. Once more he cursed the look in her eyes. She was **not** some hunter's quarry! She was **not** prey. Not her, never her. Sabertooth was a fucking legendary apex predator, **no one** would dare hunt his mate.

"An' see, I can't take my shower 'til I know ya got yer head on straight again. Call it a fuckin' whim of mine." Victor knew the words he was saying didn't really matter, he could have been reading off baseball stats for all she cared, it was all about his intonation. And it did not reflect his violent thoughts. Using his voice to relax and soothe his mate, he sought to bring her back to focus gently, slowly. If it had been anyone else he'd of snatched them by the ankles and dragged them out kicking and screaming from under the bed, screw the consequences to their mental health or physical well being. He'd of roared at them until they answered back or their mind snapped. It would have been that simple. Not with Her though. Something inside Victor wouldn't even let him consider doing such a thing to Lupa. Something stopped him from his usual harshness. She alone in the world was different. Fuck if he could explain how or why, he figured it was probably just one of those 'mate things.'

Sabertooth continued speaking softly, saying simple, unimportant, slightly ridiculous things like how he hoped she knew how to cook T-Bones 'cause he had a hankering for red meat tonight and he wasn't sure the X-Men would trust him around an open flame and barbeque forks. Plus Jimmy Runt always used to make fun of him, saying that Victor liked his steak seared not cooked. Lupa had to be there to defend her mate's honor, he explained. By now she had resumed her intent study of the floor. Creed's idle ramblings went on for almost 10 minutes before finally the Wolf Girl once again lifted up her head and looked straight into Sabertooth's blue eyes with a slightly lost expression in her own. He stopped speaking mid-sentence to stare back, recognizing some life reappear in her starry orbs.

"...Victor...?" The female feral whispered.

"Yeah, baby girl, it's me. 'M here."

She began slowly inching to him, staying low to the ground so as not to hit her head on the bed frame. When she made it out, Lupa immediately crawled into his jean clad lap and huddled close to his beating heart. Creed wrapped his arms around his tiny mate and buried his face in her hair, savoring the sweetness and softness. He began to growl softly from deep within his chest, almost like a tiger's purr. The Wolf Girl's tense frame relaxed in response.

Logan opened his mouth as if to speak but Sabertooth jerked his head up and glared at his brother. The little shit needed to learn when to keep his trap shut. Now being one such occasion. The Wolf Girl was oblivious, still mostly lost in old memories best left unvisited.

The three ferals stayed in their positions for a long time. Jimmy hovering nervously in the corner, Victor sitting cross legged and stone faced on the ground in front of the bed and a numb Lupa in his lap. No one spoke until finally a weak voice broke the silence, "I'm sorry."

"Nothing ta be sorry 'bout, angel" Victor replied sternly. "Now ya gonna tell me what the fuck happened or am I gonna have ta guess?" If Lupa hadn't of looked up into his face just then, she'd have missed the warmth in his dark blue eyes, the softness in his features which tempered his cold words.

Lupa looked back down again and pressed harder into Creed's broad chest, gripping his undershirt. He in turn held her tighter within his powerful bare arms. "Dr. Gray came to my room not long after I left you both in the kitchen. She said her schedule had changed and asked if it would be alright to perform the medical exam now instead of later. I-I was going to come find you, Victor, to see if you wanted to come, but...I was angry with you. It was silly of me really, yet I was upset that you both were so eager for a fight, two men, two brothers who had once been so very close. It seemed such a shame, so wasteful...I suppose I was in fact angry at Stryker rather either of you, he is the one who caused all of this after all. But you both also tried to keep me in ignorance about your intentions. Did you each really believe I didn't know exactly what you two were planning?" She asked rhetorically before going on

"I suppose I was the last thing on either of your minds at the time," she smiled a bit at her own hubris, not realizing that she had very much been at the forefront of their thoughts in the Danger Room. "I was being very foolish and in my frustration I agreed to go with Jean. Everything was...alright in the beginning. She measured and weighed me, listened to my heartbeat and my lungs and asked a few questions as she inspected the wounds on my chest. I was...not very comfortable. I knew almost right away I should never have gone without you. It was like I half expected one of Stryker's doctors to jump out from behind Dr. Gray and cut me open once more. Again, rather silly of me. When she started drawing blood I started...remembering things." She spoke in a hushed whisper now, completely lost in horrible recollections, "It was like I was back there, with _them_, reliving all the terrible things they did to me. How a scalpel feels slicing open skin, that agonizing burn when tendon and muscle are exposed to open air. The difference in the amount of pressure required between truly breaking a bone versus only fracturing one. The taste of my own blood, the smell of it. The sting when it drips into one's eyes. Drowning in a tank of water or getting injected with poison while men in white coats watch me and take notes. Waiting decades to hear someone speak to me, to hear the sound of a human voice, to feel a gentle touch..." Lupa trailed off, a faraway look in her gaze.

"I was holding on, only just, but still holding on because I thought that would be it. That she would be done after taking my blood. Then she said she wanted to do a CAT scan. I was stupid and agreed to it. I only wanted to leave so what was one more test, especially one that sounded so innocuous? But it was awful, being trapped in that tiny, dark space, like a coffin almost. And the sounds of the machine whirring and the smell of antiseptic...It was too much. I was back there with those men, the scientists who hurt me to see how much I could heal from, what I could survive, _how_ I could survive. I had to get out of that thing, that CAT machine, I had to be out _immediately!_ I don't remember much after that. I know I got out of the, the scanner and Dr. Gray was there. I was so frightened and confused and it's not very clear, but I think, I think I scared her. I am sorry she was afraid...Then I was hiding underneath something and you were there speaking to me, Victor. That's when things start to make sense again."

It was obvious to both men Lupa was exhausted and having difficulty staying awake. Her eyelids kept fluttering closed. Creed looked up to Logan,"'M takin' her ta bed, then you and me are gonna have a little talk with Red about her bedside manner. We clear, Runt?" Victor asked.

Logan hated not being able to stay with Lupa, but knew his elder sibling was not in the mood for negotiations. It was be simpler and less, ugly to just agree with him. "Crystal," he snapped back. _Could she really be in love with this man? Be bound to my brother? _Jimmy wondered solemnly.

As Victor stood bearing a compliant and lax Lupa in his arms, the very telepath Sabertooth had wanted to speak with burst in on the brothers for a second time in less than an hour. "As much as I'd like ta talk with ya right now, Doc, I got somethin' more important needin' tendin' to. But you an' me are gonna be havin' a little chat real soon, just after my girl's taken care of," he husked in a low, ominous voice. Deep blue eyes darkened and full of deadly promise. The embers that previously had been burning quietly within Creed's chest, were now stoked and a furious, vengeful fire was beginning to build.

But whatever had currently upset the doctor overrode her usual aversion of the giant, terrifying feral, she straightened her spine and spoke hurriedly, "We have something more important to discuss right now, Mr. Creed." She looked over to the man she secretly coveted, "Logan, I just spoke with the Professor, there was a bit of trouble at the museum between Pyro and some students from another school. Charles had to intervene but when it was over, a news bulletin came on TV. There's been an assassination attempt on the President. By a mutant. People are already talking about resubmitting the Mutant Registration Act," there was real fear in Jean's face as she spoke of the MRA. "Storm and Scott loaded all the students into the vans right away and they're on their way home. Xavier wants to have an X-Men meeting as soon as they get back."

"Fuck." "Shit." Both male ferals swore at the same time.

Jimmy turned to his brother and gestured to the sleeping Wolf Girl, "Best take her upstairs ta rest 'til everybody gets here. She'll want to be at the meetin' sure enough." Perhaps enjoying the hint at his and Lupa's closeness a bit too much.

Creed frowned at the idea of Lupa getting mixed up with X-Men affairs and the knowledge and understanding his brother apparently had for his mate. But Sabertooth reminded himself the Runt could be talking out of his ass. She might not want to go to some X-Men tea party, hell she might even sleep through the whole damn thing. Victor decided to listen to his brother's suggestion and strode out of the medical wing, back to Lupa's room in the teacher's wing. _She could sure as hell use a nap on a real bed, at least_, he rationalized.

Logan and Jean stared at each other for several moments after Lupa and Victor left. "What the fuck were you thinkin', Jeannie?" Wolverine asked incredulously with a touch of indignation.

"I screwed up, I know! I should have gone slower. I just didn't think she'd, she'd _freak out_ like that! She was wild! God knows what she might have done if I hadn't managed to get away in time," the telepath exclaimed passionately.

"Should have gone slower? Get away in time? Are you fuckin' kiddin' me? She was hidin' under a goddamn medical cot shakin' like a leaf! Damn it, Jean!" Logan hollered, angered and frustrated by what he was hearing. "Ya should have waited 'til Creed or me were there with 'er! Ya should have ended it as soon as she started ta get upset! Ya shouldn't of done so many damn tests considerin' her fuckin' history of medical torture! FUCK!" He exhaled forcibly. "I'm gonna have ta talk ta the Professor 'bout what happened with Lupa. 'M not sure what Creed might do ta ya in response, he's gotta know. An' now this mutant assassin an' the MRA? You know the FoH, HLS and CoH* will be all over this. Shit. I, I can't talk ta ya right now, Red, 'm all mixed up. I'll see ya later, at the meetin'." Logan practically jogged from the room, his emotions jumping all over the place from to terrible sadness to disgust to horror to shock to fury and back again. He had to get out of there to process everything.

Dr. Jean Gray stood alone and quiet in her lab, stunned into speechlessness.

oOo

**A/N: OK, it's a little shorter than the last couple chapters but they can't all be so long or I'd rarely update! Hope you like the update, I'm not too sure about it myself. Please review to claim your personalized CUPCAKE! ;-]**

***FoH = Friends of Humanity **

***HLS = Humanity's Last Stand **

***CoH = Church of Humanity**

**The above are anti-mutant organizations I borrowed from Marvel's X-Men comics. The HLS is the most extreme of them and is a kind of commando/survivalist group but both it and the CoH splintered off of FoH.**

**Chapter 14 Thank Yous:**

**Thank you to Ariannith, Elven-Fire-Princess, Delu, WWEVivian, vampirelover10101, LegalAddiction20, Siresin, daddysgirl1211, CalgaryCowgirl, .Devil, Tala-Lady-Of-Wolves, ordermask, Nerezza Faye, Radiioo, Siren to the Werewolves, Lady Arianne Of Ambers Valley, FeralNation, Carlypso, WhiteChocolat123, Regal Panther, hgoetz, luly4, Storylover456, hiei2828, Itachi'sgurl18, jillybeann, Devil0Child and Aurae Riordi for favoriting/alerting!**

**Ferine Lupine – Yay! Double review! Thanks for two great, thoughtful reviews! I'm glad you like 'my' Victor too, he's a little different from other stories but I like it. And sure you can use the mate idea, but let me know when you post your story, I'd love to read it!**

**shannon – Aw, thanks doll face! I'll try to keep it up! **

**marcie – LOL, LOVED reading your review, hysterical! And thankfully no flames as of yet about Victor as the leading man. And I sooo know what you mean about his arms and his chest and his face and his...Well, you get the picture. ;-)**

**WWEVivian – Because I'm a cruel, cruel woman. LOL, no because my muse occasionally leaves me suddenly and without warning. I don't really consciously choose when to end a chapter, it's all the plot bunnies I tell you! ;-)**

**WhiteChocolate123 – Darling Coco! You have an account! I'm so excited! Are you going to post some stories maybe? I'd love to read them if you do. And thanks for another great review, you are my sunshine! XD Oh and yes, you may have dropped 'a comment or two,' goddess love ya! ;-)**

**Mystic Wolfess – LOL! A woman after my own heart, cupcakes + ferals = sweet & sexy goodness! ;-) Thanks for the review, sooo glad you like the story! XD**

**darklittleangel9 – Hope the update was fast enough! ;-) Thanks for the sweet review! **

**Carlypso – Oh thank you so much for the lovely review! Hope you like the new chapter!**

**Porcelain Destiny – I'm so relieved the fight scene was good, that's the part that took me so damn long to write! And I had to look up the Bible quote myself, I knew the line but not where it came from, LOL! And Victor and Logan fighting, all sweaty and intense? Yum! ;-) Thanks for another awesome review, love ya girl!**

**xPrincetonx – I'm sorry, Skippy! Forgive me purty please? *Puppy feral eyes* (No one can resist the puppy feral eyes!)**

**Kai-Qui – LOL, yeah I'm kinda bad at cliffies, but honestly it's my muse's fault! I'm glad you liked Lupa's comments, I could just see her giving them this look that just screams, 'I know exactly what's going on here, children!' ;-)**

**Imagination-Is-The-Key – So glad you liked the chappie! Thanks for reviewing again, doll face!**

**QuirkyCullen – Yay! I'm so relieved the fight went over well, that's what took me so damn long to update! Love your reviews, girlie!**

**Broken Robot – Whew! I'm sooo happy I did the fight scene well, I was wicked nervous about it since I'm usually terrible at action stuff. Thanks for the review, darling!**

**Bookdreamer17 – I just love reading your reviews, they're so thoughtful and insightful and really helpful! I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter and all the little tidbits I put in, thanks for reviewing again! (Sooo excited for your next update too!)**

**Masked Revolt – LOL, I looove reading your reviews, they're always really helpful and really sweet, thank you! And I promise I won't make you wait so long for an update again, though it seriously wasn't my fault...Stupid muse. Hey, what's the word on your story? Updating again soon?**

**booksmartblonde333 – I love the idea of some brotherly bonding, I'll definitely be including that soon but I want the progression of their relationship to be normal and not too fast, you know? Thanks for another great review, you're awesome!**

**Kori Namida – I'm know! I'm evil with cliffhangers! Muahahaha! ;-)**

**WhiteChocolat123 – LOL, another great, funny review, I love reading them! I liked the breakfast scene where she scolded the brothers too, it was fun to write. Thanks again, doll face!**

**ROGUEFURY – OK, first off thanks for the quote correction, I totally missed it! And thanks for another thoughtful, in depth review, I really appreciate you taking the time to write it! So happy you liked the chapter, hope this one is good too!**

**chrissyissy – Darling Chrissy! I promise I'll never be apart from you for so long again! ;-)**

**wolviegurl – The breakfast scene was wicked fun to write, I love writing dialogue! Thanks for reviewing again, you're a love!**

**hiei2828 – Thanks for reviewing, doll face, I'll try to keep the cliffies to a minimum! XD**

**queenbrooklyn67 – Thanks for reviewing again, Queenie! You rock!**

**Wolfy Pup – I know, I'm a cruel, cruel author. I'll try to cut back on the cliffhangers though, promise! XD**

**GhostAuthor – LOL, you know what they say: Great minds think alike! ;-)**

**ninjamonkey20 – Yay! I made you do a happy dance! I love happy dances! Thanks for reviewing again, baby cakes!**

**Bre-Wolf666 – I have so much fun writing the dialogue, I'm glad you enjoyed reading it! Thanks for another fantabulous review! ;-)**


	17. 16 A Predator Still

**A/N: Sorry for the delay but things have been crazy at work! I just finished this so I figured I better post it right away and in a couple of days I'll come back and do individual shout-outs, maybe even re-edit. But a special thanks to Kai-Qui, a most loyal reviewer and reader!**

Recap:

_Jimmy turned to his brother and gestured to the Wolf Girl who had fallen into an exhausted sleep in his arms, "Best take her upstairs ta rest 'til everybody gets here. She'll want to be at the meetin' sure enough." Perhaps enjoying the hint at his and Lupa's closeness a bit too much._

_Creed frowned at the idea of Lupa getting mixed up with X-Men affairs and at the understanding his brother apparently had for his mate. But Sabertooth reminded himself the Runt could be talking out of his ass. She might not want to go to some X-Men tea party and talk about mutant assassins, hell she might even sleep through the whole damn thing. Victor decided to listen to his brother's suggestion and strode out of the medical lab, back to Lupa's room in the teacher's wing. _She could sure as hell use a nap on a real bed, at least_, he rationalized._

Chapter 16

A Predator Still

Logan had been right. After taking the Wolfgirl back to her room, she only slept for about an hour and a half before waking again around 1:30. Immediately she asked Victor to explain exactly what Jean had been talking about earlier, back in the Med Lab. Once she heard the rundown of the situation, Lupa announced that she'd be attending the X-Men meeting and then proceeded to inquire of Victor if he would be joining her. The male feral was so shocked by her annoucement and the nonchalant way she questioned him, that he could only nod in assent. He was completely floored that someone (especially such a little scrap of a thing) would actually have the balls to ask that. To speak to him in such a matter-of-fact way. To, to-_challenge_ him! Didn't she know she was supposed to ask him for permission before she made any fucking decisions? Was she completely oblivious as to exactly _who_ she was talking to? What manner of creature stood before her? **He** told frails what **they'd** be doing. Not the other way around!

But then again, she wasn't just some frail. An expendable, faceless whore. Another replaceable, disposable bitch. She was Lupa. His Lupa. His mate.

And surprisingly, oddly, a part of Creed also found he enjoyed her confidence and independence. Her...difference from others.

Her naivete in how she was _supposed_ to act toward him. The way she was _expected_ to treat him, by both himself and the rest of the world, X-Men included.

The guileless way she spoke to him, without fear or calculation or agenda in her eyes or scent, only respect and affection.

How she didn't whine or nag or beg or plead with him.

That she was strong enough, smart enough, to make her own decisions without simpering at him to save her, to tell her what to do. She'd made up her mind and now wanted to know if he was planning to come as well.

Still though, couldn't let her make a habit of it. Better teach her now the way things were going to work from here on out. He was Alpha, and that was just the way it was.

So Victor swiftly and purposefully strode over to the unsuspecting female feral and roughly pushed her body back into the wall, throwing his arms up to cage her there. He pressed his heavy bulk against her to keep her in place as he sniffed her hair, neck and face. All the while he rumbled a deep, warning growl to her: _Stay Still_. Then, quickly ducking his head, Sabertooth carefully but forcefully laid his sharp teeth over the delicate skin of Lupa's exposed throat. Not pressing down hard enough to draw blood, only enough to bruise for an hour or so. She did not struggle, instinctively knowing what he was trying to prove.

The feral display held a dual meaning, it both asserted his dominance over her, as well as her willing acceptance of it, of _him_. On a secondary level it was also something like a test for both participants, a mutual trust exercise. Trust on behalf of the submissive animal that the dominant animal would not tear out their throat, and trust on behalf of the dominant, that the submissive would allow it. That she did in fact have confidence in him and would put her life in his hands without question, without doubt. A show of faith, a demonstration of trust for each.

After a minute, Sabertooth eased the pressure on Lupa's throat. He started scraping his sharp teeth against thin skin, then sensually brushing his warm lips and tongue over the same spots seconds later. His actions and hot breath on her throat practically had the Wolfgirl's toes curling in unknown anticipation. Victor backed up a few feet when he'd finished his ministrations, his face schooled blank. Creed was vaguely unsure as to what to do now and very curious as to see how Lupa was going to react.

She surprised him, as always, by considering him for a moment, then stepping forward and placing one small hand on his right shoulder and her other over his heart. Fluidly, she rose on her tiptoes and pressed a gentle kiss on his tense mouth. As she dropped back down, she lightly nipped, then kissed his neck, a miniature imitation of what he'd just done to her. She turned, opened her bedroom door and calmly walked out of the room. From the hallway Lupa wore a saucy grin as she glanced over her shoulder at him. A twinkle in her moon colored eyes, she asked, "Coming?"

_Not yet, baby girl, not yet, _he thought wickedly.

Creed couldn't help but let a rare, spontaneous laugh escape; it sounded a bit like barking, but was genuine. Of course he was fucking going with her! She was his, wasn't she? Not to mention all of his protective feral instincts were screaming at him to stay close to her, to not let his mate go alone into a room full of potentially dangerous males. Offhandedly Victor tried to remember, had anyone ever dared to fucking _tease_ him before? He didn't think so. Sabertooth smirked devilishly at the waiting woman, catching the faint scent of her sweet arousal. Without warning he leapt forward, threw her over his shoulder and carried the softly giggling Lupa down the empty hallway.

oOo

It was just past two o'clock when the students and teachers got back from the museum, everyone subdued and worried. Yet despite the gravity of current events, something about being home just made things seem a little better to them all. Likewise, Logan and Lupa were glad to have the other adults (and Rogue) back, both ferals eager to figure out what exactly was happening in the larger world regarding mutant affairs. Jean was torn somewhere between relief and trepidation. Relief at the sight of X-Men reinforcements and nervousness at having to explain to Xavier her actions toward Lupa.

Victor however, was irritated by the whole goddamn thing. He fucking hated having to play nice with these high and mighty boy scouts, despised the fact his angel was involved with them on any level and he _really_ disliked having to stay at the X-Mansion. Currently, only a very few people on the outside were aware Charlie Boy's school was actually a refuge for young mutants. But with this assassination attempt on the president...Well, if Creed had learned anything in his long life, now was exactly the time the rats would abandoned ship. Someone would talk, be it a student's angry family member or a bigoted UPS guy who might have seen something he shouldn't have.

_Hell, what did they used to say back in the day? 'Lose lips sink ships?' Yeah, that was it._

One way or another, word would get around. And Victor was betting on sooner rather than later. However it happened, everyone here now had to worry about the various hate groups (the FoH, HLS, Humans First) finding out. The government or military might even take an interest, too. Every fucking day would increase the risk of the school's exposure and Sabertooth did not want himself or his mate around when that steaming pile of shit hit the fan. But they could only wait and see how bad the human's retaliation would be. Creed wondered internally, would some night here soon be a mutant _Kristallnacht_?*

The Professor had immediately gone to Cerebro as soon as he got out of the van, determined to track the White House attacker, the one who could possibly ruin the peace he was working so hard for. Scott and Storm sent the children up to their rooms to study until dinner, explaining classes were canceled that afternoon. After, the two of them explained to Logan, Victor, Lupa and Jean what little information the news provided on the White House attack. They had to wait out an awkward hour in the kitchen before Xavier finally telepathically summoned all six to his office.

Charles began the meeting by announcing that the would-be assassin had seemingly been able to change locations extremely rapidly, but now was staying put in downtown Boston. Conversation quickly turned to who could be responsible for the presidential attack. Was it the work of one lone man, or was he part of a group of mutant supremacists? Rapidly, the possibility of Magneto's involvement came up. Cyclops and Wolverine in particular were convinced Erik was behind the plot, while Xavier, Jean and Ororo weren't so sure. But for the first time ever, Scott and Logan were in agreement about something and in fact, made a formidable team as they debated with the three others over the issue. Finally, after maybe 10 minutes without any progress on either side, Victor spoke up. The mated ferals were slightly outside the circle the others had unconsciously formed around the headmaster's desk, Lupa sitting in an armchair and Sabertooth casually leaning against it in a proprietary manner.

"'S not Erik," the enormous man husked slowly, drawing out his words until he had everyone's full attention. "Not his style. He'd ah had it done in a public place, made sure there were cameras nearby with lotsa wide-eyed witnesses. Not ta mention I'd ah heard about it before now, if not from Erik, then from somebody else. An' if that bit from the news is true, a red ribbon tied to the dagger? 'Mutant Freedom Now' written onnit?" He laughed. "How fuckin' hard were they tryin'? It's a red herring an' shitty one at that. You can take Mags off yer list, mark my words. I'd be looking somewhere else." He grinned a secretive grin that left some of the others present wondering exactly what he knew to make him smile like that. But Creed didn't say anything else. He figured he'd given them enough clues that if they were smart, street smart that is, they'd figure it out. _Fuck_, he loved playing these little games with people. Too goddamn fun...

To say the least, most of the X-Men were startled to see this display of reasoning from the Big Bad Sabertooth. One or two actually shocked that he possessed any form of higher intellect at all. Victor just laughed a husky laugh in their faces. Sometimes he enjoyed being underestimated, especially when he could see reactions like this. Mostly though, it just pissed him off.

"If it wasn't Magneto, then who was it?" Ororo asked, the first to break the silence.

"Don't know. None of the usual suspects, that's fer sure. I woulda caught wind of it if that was the case," Creed replied.

Xavier spoke up, "Would you be able to find out?"

"Now Charlie Boy, if'n I did that, I'd be breaking rule number four. And I'd hate ta do that," Sabertooth smirked delightfully.

"Somehow, Victor, I think you'll get over it quite nicely. Perhaps you could inform us of what you discover tomorrow," Charles returned. He would make an exception for rule four if there was a chance that one of Creed's 'business' associates had information.

"Think I can do that. But 'm also gonna need to get some of my clothes an' shit sent over. Wasn't expectin' ta stay this long."

"Of course, that is perfectly understandable. The brief presence of a single, unarmed delivery man will certainly not disturb the students learning environment," the telepath smoothly replied.

Eventually it was decided that Scott and Charles would go pay a visit to Magneto while Jean and Storm would go to Boston to find the wanted mutant. Logan and Lupa would stay at the mansion to watch over the students for the night. Scott had hoped the Professor would ask Victor to leave until the other X-Men returned to the school, but was sorely disappointed to find that would not be the case. He was even more upset when he heard his mentor ask the visiting psychopath if he would 'look after the place' tonight. But Cyclops bit his tongue, reminded himself Logan would also be there and resigned himself to the situation. It was just one night after all.

The meeting concluded and a distracted Scott left to grade some papers before he and Charles departed for Magneto's prison. After a moment Storm wandered off to pack an overnight bag for Boston, which left Jean, Lupa, Victor, Logan and Charles alone. Creed, sensing his little brother had things covered with the redheaded bitch and the Prof, guided his mate from the room with a clawed hand resting on her lower back. She didn't need to be here for this he reasoned, she'd probably end up feeling guilty if they stayed. At the door he looked over his shoulder to Logan, "Handle it, Jimmy Runt." The mated ferals left Dr. Gray to her fate.

oOo

Logan wore a strange look on his face when Victor shut the door behind him. He'd had an odd moment of deja vu when his brother called him Jimmy Runt. A fleeting glimpse in his mind's eye of Creed saying that exact thing to him somewhere else long ago. It was like a memory tickling the back of his brain but staying just out of reach. Confused, Wolverine stubbornly pushed it aside, there was more important shit to take care of now.

"Is there something you two wish to discuss with me?" Xavier asked the silent and awkward Jean and Logan.

"Jeannie fucked up," the feral finally spit out. "She examined Lupa this mornin' without Creed or me there, an' the poor thing had like a flashback or a panic attack or whatever. She flipped in the middle of the CAT scan and her Wolf came out...Victor wasn't-very happy when we found her tremblin' like a leaf, hidin' underneath a cot in the Med Lab." He made a frustrated noise at the memory of a terrified Lupa. "It was a stupid mistake but I don't know what Sabertooth might do ta her because of it. I've never seen him so angry an' yet so, in control of himself. Course, Lupa jus' feels bad about scarin' Jean," the Runt scoffed quietly.

Dr. Gray had thus far kept quiet and just stared at the patterns in the wooden grain of the Professor's oak desk. She felt a little ashamed, a lot embarrassed and a bit of guilt. The telepath had never meant to traumatize the woman, only to avoid being in the same room with Sabertooth. And when she started to examine Lupa, well, her intellectual curiosity about her patient just got carried away. There were so many things to learn about the woman's mutation. From the outside, the woman's chest wounds were nearly healed over, but what about internally, how were her lungs? And what exactly had been done to her by those men? Would there be any kind of signs or evidence of the trauma the female feral had been put through or had her feeling factor prevented that? Could she even scar? Jean saw now that she should never have performed all those tests in one sitting. It was too much to ask of the female feral.

Finally the doctor looked up at Charles and spoke, "I underestimated my patient's reaction to being exposed to another medical facility, her fragility and the possible repercussions. I only wanted to examine her without having that, that man, that _beast_, breathing down my neck. I thought it was the perfect opportunity as Logan was with him, keeping him occupied and out of the way. I never thought she would act out in such a violent and aggressive way and I am sorry that she was negatively affected."

"Shit, do you even hear yourself, Jean? You sound like a coldblooded bitch! Couldn't ya tell she was getting' upset? YER A FUCKIN' MIND READER FER GOD'S SAKE!" Wolverine hollered, disgusted by her seemingly callous, indifferent attitude.

"I missed the signs, Logan! I'm sorry! I messed up! What do you want me to say?" The redheaded telepath exploded briefly. "And I didn't read her mind because I couldn't. Neither the Professor or I can, it's like she's got a mental block of some kind." Dr. Gray looked very tired all of a sudden and no one spoke for a minute.

Xavier was the first to speak, "Jean, I'm sad to say I am disappointed in your actions. You put your own feelings and concerns above those of your patient and as a direct a result of that, you have further injured her. If you felt that uncomfortable around Mr. Creed, myself or Logan could have stayed with you. We could have called in Dr. Hank McCoy to examine Lupa himself. As a fellow feral, perhaps I should have contacted him first."

Charles sighed, "You failed as a physician, but more importantly, you failed as a friend, Jean. You choose to ignore her signs of distress in favor of your own scientific curiosity. I will speak to Victor about the situation, but I believe if he had plans for...revenge, he would have enacted them by now. In fact, I think he is trusting you, Logan, to ensure the matter is taken care of."

Jimmy went wide eyed for a moment as he realized it was true.

"Jean, I will speak to you more on this subject when we both have returned from our separate missions tomorrow. For now, we all have things to do so I suggest we get to work."

Dr. Gray quickly left the office for the room she shared with Scott, while Logan wandered off to his for a shower.

oOo

By early evening the mansion was calm, Scott, Charles, Jean and Storm had left for their respective destinations, the students in their rooms and Logan was busy working off steam in the Danger Room. Lupa and her mate were walking in her favorite garden, both silent and contemplative, though about different things. After several minutes the Wolf Girl turned to her mate, "Victor, will you tell me of your life?"

And so he did. Because she asked him to.

He didn't particularly want to, but felt he at least owed her that, the truth. Not to mention all the goddamn busybodies around here, someone was bound to tell her soon. Actually, Creed was kind of surprised she hadn't already been regaled with horrific tales of his past misdeeds by the Runt, Beam Boy and that redheaded doctor bitch, (in that order). But she hadn't, not yet at least. So he told her of the horrors of his childhood, his widowed alcoholic father beating him and locking him up in the dark for days at a time to punish him for his fangs, for his claws, for being a 'freak.' Learning Jimmy was his half brother then watching him kill their father. Escaping into the forest. Living in the wild and taking care of his sickly little brother, sacrificing for him, protecting him, going hungry and cold for him. Then later, the Wars. All the killing, the destruction, the rapes, the hunting, the gore. The battles, the pain, the marching, the blood. Sabertooth explained that in his experience, being 'at war' was mostly very boring. How there would be long stretches of waiting sporadically interrupted by brief confused and chaotic fighting. How as a soldier he'd spent most of his time waiting. Waiting for orders, waiting for action, waiting for the enemy. Waiting for an ambush, waiting for news, waiting for attack, before finally his beast got the chance to come out and play. Bathe in the blood and glory of it all.

Victor told her how he and Jimmy did manual labor the years in between the next big war. They were professional soldiers who worked odd jobs while once again waiting. What else were they fit for, he asked rhetorically. They were men with the senses and speed of wild animals, accelerated healing, and freakish physical attributes. Logan's bone claws had been fairly easy to hide, but Creed couldn't hide his own talon-tipped fingers and his protruding fangs as easily. Or his thirst for violence.

Lupa idly wondered if her mate had then felt most at home on a battlefield, as if it were the only place a 'creature' like him could belong.

Creed told her random stories from the various periods of peace he and the Runt lived through. How they retreated back to Canada after the American Civil War and got jobs as lumberjacks. That they'd worked on a horse ranch in Tuscon, Arizona at the dawn of the 20th century. And after WWII they'd been Forest Rangers in Maine for awhile before nearly getting run out of town, (an incident Logan would not let him forget about for _years_).

Victor spoke of how as the decades passed and the wars continued, he started to lose control. He began taking greater risks on the battlefield, becoming sloppy and indiscreet with his special abilities, risking both his and his brother's exposure. At the same time Sabertooth was allowing his feral nature to surface more and more often, revealing his beastly instincts and reveling in them, basking in them.

The brothers had always looked out for one another, watched each others backs, but now Logan was having to reign his brother in more often. Restrain him when necessary. Finally it was in Vietnam that Creed's beastly instincts got them caught. The ferals had always managed to fly under the radar and keep their 'talents' secret while in service, but after Sabertooth gutted a fellow squad member who tried to stop him from raping a villager, well, the cat was out of the bag. And Logan's bone claws were out in the open. They were thrown in prison, tried in military court, found guilty and sentenced to death by firing squad all in less than a week. Victor confessed to his mate that the execution itself had 'tickled.'

Stryker found them very soon after that, rotting in a jungle prison while the Army was trying to figure out what the hell to do with two immortal soldiers. Jumping ahead, Victor explained how after he escaped Three Mile Island once Jimmy got shot in the head, he'd spent endless amounts of money in his search for her and his brother. How he took side jobs as a mercenary when the pent up rage and frustration threatened his focus while tracking his mate. Or when he found himself wanting to bash his own brains out to just stop the unbearable unknowing.

He described the jobs he'd done for the X-Men's enemy Erik, alias Magneto, in exchange for money or information on her or her captors. The other contracts he'd performed for some less than reputable folks. How it hadn't mattered to him what a job entailed as long as the reward was appealing enough. That he hadn't cared who was paying him or what kind of people they were. How he was a wanted man, infamous and known for getting the job done quickly, ruthlessly and effectively. Someone in much demand in his world. And he told her he'd do it all again without hesitation or remorse or regret, if it meant it'd lead him back to her. He'd do worse to be with her again.

All the while the male feral had been talking, Lupa kept quiet, not once interrupting to make an inquiry or mutter an opinion or exclamation. She listened to him deeply, earnestly and entirely, something Creed had never encountered before. He finished speaking, having completed his narrative of all the terrible, awful, horrible things he had done for survival, for revenge, under orders, for justice, for payment, for fun. Having recited to her all the terrible, awful, horrible things he had seen, she kept silent for several minutes. Finally, the Wolf Girl looked up at him and asked only one question.

"Will it be different now?"

Victor firmly nodded. He couldn't expect her to rejoice in his past, but he could respect her question if he was changed, if he wanted a different life from what he'd always known. And the answer honestly was yes. Or at least the man was going to do his damnedest to make this shit work. And he'd always planned to semi-retire from the whole Big Bad Sabertooth gig when they were together again. The only thing driving him now was his need to protect what was his (Lupa) and by extension, what belonged to her (Rogue).

There would be no more fighting for the pure sake of violence, or for the dark pleasure doling out pain gave him. For the scent of creeping death on his opponent's skin or the taste of sweat and blood in his mouth. He no longer needed it, that addictive rush of power from mercenary work or war, the elation of distraction, relief, from his own pain – _She_ was back. Of course, that did not mean he wouldn't indulge in a one-on-one bear hunt now and again, animal versus animal. And it did not mean he wouldn't take great satisfaction in bleeding anyone dry who came after them, a man did have a right to protect what was his. Creed just wasn't planning on any active (human) hunting. Defending his own, now that was a completely different story.

It'd be easy to spread the word in the underground that he wasn't taking on anymore of his usual paid-for-hire work, (kidnappings, assassinations, private protection, tracking, interrogation and torture). He didn't think he had the stomach for rape anymore, Creed had a feeling every crying woman's face would turn into Hers.

But if an enemy did arise, some threat or danger surfaced from his past or her own, he'd happily make the sky rain down blood and then bathe in it. After, he'd hang the skinned corpses from the ceiling of the perpetrators' headquarters. As a warning to others.

He was now a protector with a pride to watch over and guard, but he was a predator still.

oOo

**A/N: PLEASE REVIEW!**

**X**

_***Kristallnacht, **_**German fo****r Crystal Night. Throughout Nazi Germany on the night of November 9th, 1938 there was a coordinated, vicious attack on the Jewish people, their businesses, homes and synagogues. The event was triggered by the assassination of German diplomat Ernst vom Rath by a German-Polish Jew, it essentially was a retaliation against an entire group of people based on the actions of one man belonging to that group. Carried out by the Hitler Youth, the Gestapo and the SS, 91 Jews were murdered and up to 30,000 were arrested then sent to concentration camps. They call it the Night of the Broken Glass, because of enormous amount of shards of glass from broken windows laying about the streets. I find the name of the night a disturbingly poetic as well as apt. Also the event paralleled perfectly with the plot of this chapter. History is sooo cyclical.**

**X**

**To remind people from the last chapter:**

**FoH = Friends of Humanity **

**HLS = Humanity's Last Stand**

**And a new one:**

**Humans First = A human supremacist group actually from the Anita Blake series. They're in fact anti-vampire not anti-mutant, but hey, the name seemed to fit in the X-Men universe really well.**

**X**

**A/N 2.0: Regarding the time line of my stories, I've blended the events and individual time lines from the X-Men comics, **_**Origins: Wolverine**_** and the X1 and X2 movies. I'll lay out the crucial stuff for you below in chronological order. Obviously as the story progresses, the time line's details will fill out.**

**1820s – Victor Creed and James Howlett, half brothers, born four years apart in Northwestern Canada, (Using the comics time line).**

**1830s – Lupa born somewhere presumably in Eastern Europe, soon after taken in by the Gypsy tribe.**

**1861 – 1865 – Brothers fight in the American Civil War.**

**1914 – 1918 – Brothers fight in World War I.**

**1942 – 1945 – Brothers fight in World War II.**

**Sometime Post WWII – Lupa escapes the Gypsy traveling circus while in Northern Europe.**

**1950 – 1953 – Brothers fight in the Korean War.**

**Late 1960s – 1973 – Brothers fight in Vietnam War.**

**1973 – Brothers 'recruited' by Stryker.**

**Early 1974 – Agent Zero, Dukes and Stryker capture Lupa in Russian forest, transport her to Three Mile Island.**

**Summer 1974 – Brothers meet and help Lupa escape. Victor goes to Boston, Lupa and Jimmy go to Prince Edward Island.**

**Autumn 1974 – Lupa and Jimmy's location stolen from Victor by Styker's pet telepath; Lupa and Jimmy recaptured. Wolverine volunteers to have Adamantium bonded to bones thanks to Stryker's manipulation; Logan loses his memory to a Adamantium bullet to the brain courtesy of Agent Zero. Lupa taken to unknown location. Victor begins the search for his brother and his mate.**

**1974 – 1979 – Lupa held in captivity in Alkali Lake base first run by General Lexter, then upon his death, by Colonel Stryker.**

**1974 – 2000 – Victor acts as a mercenary, searches for Lupa and Jimmy. Logan travels North America. **

**March 28, 1979 – "Deadpool incident" at Stryker's second base on Three Mile Island. US Government cover story: partial core meltdown at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station. Government learns of Stryker's mutant son. Alkali base raided by Black Ops teams, Lupa taken by Stryker's lackey to new location.**

**Spring 2000 – Victor agrees to do a kidnapping job for Magneto, his target: a teenager named Rogue.**

**Autumn 2000 – X-Men rescue Lupa, Logan returns to mansion. Xavier contacts Victor.**

**X**

**Chapter 15 Thank Yous:**

**chrissyissy – I do know and love you all the more for it!**

**booksmartblonde333 – LOL, I know what you mean. I never liked Jean much, maybe I'll talk to Vic about some verbal shredding (verbal for now)... ;-)**

**ROGUEFURY – You write such helpful reviews, it's awesome! Chapter 17 will have be the action chapter with scenes from X2, hope you enjoy it!**

**Baby Imagination – Hurrah! I'm glad that it was a surprise! I wanted to show her vulnerability, it would be weird if she was able to 'get over' the last few decades without any trouble.**

**Lady Arianne Of Ambers Valley – Oh I'm glad you liked the chapter! I was worried about it being too sappy but at the same time I wanted to show how different he was with her. Thanks for reviewing!**

**GhostAuthor – Yeah, chapter 17 will have some mention of how different Victor is with Lupa and how it confuses people, especially Logan. Glad you're still enjoying the story! XD**

**QuirkyCullen – OK, so I didn't update quickly like you asked, but it _was_ a long chapter. That makes up for it right? Right? Quirky? Hello? ;-)**

**Carlypso – Reading your reviews always make me smile! Thanks for brightening my day! XD**

**Kai-Qui – Yeah, I'm awful with cliffies, it's a terrible habit of mine. But I blame it all on the plot bunnies. They kidnap me at random moments, make me slave away typing at four in the morning, and disapear for days at a time! And when they're done with a chapter. They're done, cliffhanger be damned. They're like...fascist bunnies. But thanks for putting up with me, ;-)**

**WhiteChocolate123 – Yeah, I think that ferals would have a tendency to become more animal like in extreme emotional circumstances. I mean, even golden retrievers will bite sometimes and they're like the sweetest dogs ever. Weird comparison I know, but you get where I'm going. XD**

**mandya1313 – Paldies! (Latvian)**

**queenbroklyn67 – Yeah, but she's a toughie, she'll pull through! Thanks for reviewing again!**

**HelHound – Sigh, I know, I'm a little in love with the Victor I've created as well. And next update will have an opportunity for the boys to see how well they play together, ;-)**

**Ferine Lupine – *****Throws Confetti* Huzzah! I love reading your reviews, your smilies make me smile! And I'm wicked excited to read your story, let me know when you post it or if you need help posting it. It took me for forever to figure it out the first time. Thanks for the reviews, dollface!**

**marcie – LOL! OMG, I nearly pulled a stitch reading that. Thanks for making me smile! (And yeah, Vic in an undershirt running off to play hero? Le SIGH!)**

**Porcelain Destiny – Oh, I was so excited to see you posted your story! I love the first chapter too, just enough to tease the reader and whet the appetite! Thanks for reviewing again, can't wait to read more of ****SheWolf****!**

**ninjamonkey20 – I never liked Jean, she's just always so...ugh! I totally wanted to smack her while writing this chapter, LOL!**

**hiei2828 – Yeah, next update will have events from the second X-Men movie. I'm not sure about X3 though, we'll have to see I guess. Thanks for reviewing again! XD**

**wolviegurl – I think she needed to say it, but in my mind it's hard for her to speak up, especially about her emotions, because of how she grew up and lived for so many years. Glad you liked the nickname, thanks for reviewing, darling!**

**My Beautiful Ending – Oh, that's exactly what I was going for with Victor! I'm so happy it came out that way! Thanks for another wonderful review, sweet girl!**

**Obscure Stranger – Ugh! I never liked Jean either! She always rubbed me the wrong way for some reason...And your rhyme, it was **_**almost**_** a haiku! ;-)**

**Lamminator – Oh thank you for such a thoughtful, wonderful review! And yes, I'm using live as Sabertooth, but I haven't seen Defiance yet, I'll have to check it out!**

**NagainaFier – LOL, great review, thanks! I'm glad you like the story, hope next chappie doesn't disappoint!**

**Moani-sama – Yeah, huge difference in chapter length, I'm really trying to write longer ones. So glad you like both my stories, thanks for reviewing!**

**shorty-2721 – Aw! Thanks so much for the sweet review! Thanks for favoriting too!**

**mightnight84118 – Took longer than usual, but I hope the wait was worth it! XD**


	18. 17 The Consequence of Choice

**A/N: Nope, still own anything that um, other people own. I do own Lupa and my plot though...**

**Please visit my livejournal page to see an image I made of Lupa!**

**http:/gypsywitchbaby (dot) livejournal (dot) com/ **

Chapter 17

The Consequence of Choice

Since coming to the mansion, Lupa had had her first experience with television. She was fascinated with the technology and used it to learn about American culture as well as the historical events she had missed out on. Though admittedly, she often scoffed at Hollywood's interpretation of history. For instance the movie, _In Love and War. _While the Wolf Girl found it entertaining, she felt the representation of life during and after World War I to be somewhat...lacking. The Great War had nearly wiped out a whole generation of North American and European men. Decimating the male population of villages and entire city blocks, leaving them filled with only very young boys and very old men. Lupa often wondered how differently the world would be now had not so many good men died back then from Chlorine or Mustard gas, blood poisoning and machine gun fire.

It also irked Lupa how _clean_ everyone was in some of these so called period films, how everyone had perfect, straight white teeth and smooth, clear skin. And how the women in those movies would choose love over an advantageous marriage. The average woman in the 19th century without her own money would never give up a lifetime of financial security, a warm home and a full belly for a penniless, prospect-less (though handsome, they were always handsome) second son. Nor would her family have allowed her to do so, even if she loved him. The Wolf Girl found she enjoyed the romantic, fairytale endings of these types of movies nonetheless, though before Victor had come back into her life, the films had made her a little sad too.

But in all of the movies and TV shows she had thus seen, one phrase kept turning up over and over again, a cliché she believed it was called: _So much has changed in so little time_. It was very useful and appropriate expression she found, particularly given her current circumstances. Things were so different than what had been less than half a day prior. For the first time in Lupa's life, she felt the bitter gnawing of doubt, felt the poison of it spread through her body, a kind of creeping numbness. Victor had been going to leave her. No, he _had_ left her...

The Wolf Girl shut her eyes tight, trying to banish the sickly feelings inside her, blocking out the others riding with her in the speeding, silent car. Looking over at the radio clock she saw it was nearing four a.m. and wondered when they'd be arriving in Boston, the brother's formerly beloved city. Leaning her cheek against the cold window glass, she thought back to last night, the start of everything, replaying the memories in her mind, trying to make sense of it all.

Victor's delivery had arrived by a single, unarmed (as promised) currier while the mates were eating a late dinner in the kitchen. Lupa had encouraged Rogue to sit with her friends in the dining hall that evening, having wanted to speak with Victor in private about the assassination attempt and what his thoughts were on the situation. The package hadn't been a box wrapped in brown paper with string, as the Wolf Girl had half expected (thanks to _The Sound of Music_ – another favorite, though she found it's historical representation of the Nazi regime to be...naïve). Instead, it was a large black duffel bag with several long shoulder straps and a couple of thick handles.

When the mates went back upstairs to her room, Creed opened it, not hiding the contents from the female feral. It held several days worth of clothing in his size, basic toiletries and a sealed manilla envelope. He hadn't opened it until after taking a shower and changing into fresh clothes, jeans and an undershirt. The female feral slipped into one of Rogue's beautiful vintage nightgowns, it was a white one with thin shoulder straps and a hem that reached just past her knees where small dusty pink roses were sown on.

Lupa had let him read through the papers the envelope contained in peace, but looked up at him from her bed with patient expectance once he finished. Creed knew what she was waiting for and did not disappoint.

He had been pacing the floor as he spoke, "Wasn't Erik. Wasn't Mystique. Wasn't any of the Brotherhood actin' independently, either. My sources are all comin' up empty handed which means shit jus' got a lot more complicated, baby girl."

He explained that if it wasn't any of the usual suspects (i.e. some radical mutant rights group) and if no one in the merc world had caught wind of anything (not even a rumor about a guy who heard from another guy that someone was pulling a big job), there was only one conclusion. If the Underground had not heard about it, the Topside must be involved.

Sabertooth knew a lot of less than reputable folks. Contacts who were able to procure just about anything he could need for one of his mercenary jobs: weapons, hackers, fake IDs, forged papers, stolen documents, secret information (or sometimes just professional gossip), as well as more work. And each one of Creed's 'Bad Guy' contacts had a legitimate counterpart, a white hat. Someone aboveboard who was employed by a government or military to perform those very same tasks. Only they were sanctioned and their work was considered legal (mostly). Gun runners who were 'legit' are labeled international arms dealers. Hackers, data encryption specialists. And a forger or a counterfeiter – an expert reproduction artist and an authentication specialist. So, if no one in the criminal element had been involved in the planning or set up of the White House job, 'legal' avenues and sources must have been used. As one of Victor's favorite fictional characters, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, once said, 'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, _however improbable_, must be the truth!'

The Wolf Girl was horrified by the truth she heard in her mate's theory as well as feeling fierce pride for his sharp intelligence and quick reasoning, she did not think any but herself and perhaps Charles could see it. It was horrible to think someone in the government or military had been involved with the presidential assassination attempt. And it wasn't much of a leap to conclude that the goal of the plot was to turn the country, perhaps the world, against the entirety of mutant kind for the actions of one. They would be hunted again.

Victor had sat on the bed and gathered her into his lap when he saw the color leaver Lupa's face. He leaned against the headboard and purred to her gently until she relaxed enough to fall asleep. He stared at her beautiful, scarred face for a long while, until nearly 10 o'clock. Then, as a precaution, Sabertooth went outside to walk the perimeter of the mansion, underneath the stars that reminded him of his own mate's eyes. Every two hours he slipped from his angel's room to do a security check, walking through the school's many hallways and rooms, making sure everything was kosher, doors and windows locked. Around two a.m. he spotted Jimmy and one of the teenagers in the talking in the kitchen, Jimmy drinking soda (Victor snorted, _soda_) and the kid eating ice cream. He could smell the tension between the mutants and chuckled a little from his hiding spot in the shadows. Creed recognized the kid as the one who followed Rogue around like a lost puppy, (Icy Pop? Snow Cone Kid?). No wonder the Runt didn't like him, that was his girl-cub the boy was sniffing after.

Then the teen mumbled something interesting, something that sounded like, _You know, I've seen the way you look at her...at Lupa – Miss Naja._

Pissed, Logan coldly spat out, "What did you just say?"

Backing down when faced with the Wolverine, the blue eyed boy answered with a sullen, "Nothing."

Well now, did he have some 'competition' in his little brother, Creed pondered, at first idly amused. Was the Runt pining after his Lupa? Fancying himself in love with her? What a joke. Pathetic.

Then his temper started to slowly creep in. Didn't that fucking runt know she was _taken_? That she _belonged _to someone? That she belonged _him_, to the _Sabertooth_? Who was he to fucking covet her like that? He'd take care of informing the Wolverine of that fact right quick tomorrow morning, that's for shit sure.

Doubt came next. Creed wondered how much Logan knew about his and Lupa's bond. Had she, had she not told anyone that they were mates? Well it didn't fucking matter if she hadn't. Not to him. He wasn't letting her go now that he'd found her again so it didn't goddamn matter if she was keeping it quiet. He sure as hell didn't care, she must've had her reasons.

Suddenly feeling bad tempered and off kilter, Victor stalked back upstairs to her room, wondering if his mate might have awoken and be worried about his whereabouts. He hadn't roused her whenever he left to do the rounds, just hoped she wouldn't wake while he was gone. He worried she might freak out if she found herself alone. It was on the staircase, one floor below the teacher's bedrooms that he heard a godawful wail so loud he collapsed to his knees, covering his ears and cursing his enhanced hearing.

oOo

She'd woken up to a long, continuing scream so powerful that the Wolf Girl was forced to clap her hands over her ears. She even shut her eyes again as if that would help. It was Siren, a young student whose mutation allowed the girl to break the sound barrier with her own voice if she should so choose. After perhaps 10 seconds the girl finally, and suddenly, fell silent. Lupa opened her eyes and lowered her hands, looking about the room for her Victor. He wasn't there. He wasn't there! But just as she started to panic, the male feral burst in through her door, eyes cobalt blue and reflecting eager fire.

"They're here," Sabertooth snarled, the beast in full control and enraged at the very idea of his mate being in danger.

She stared at him, shocked and speechless. Could it be so soon? Memories of long, horrible years of running and hiding during the Third Reich's time in power jumped into her mind – Hunters were coming after her once more. She sat frozen until he spoke again.

"Come on. We're getting' outta here, baby girl."

Immediately Lupa shot up off the bed, she would not be recaptured. Never again. But then the female feral's thoughts flew to her young friend,"What about Rogue?"

"Throw the shit you need into my bag. Now."

She ignored his command, "_Prietene_, what about Rogue?"*

He didn't answer her, just grabbed their coats, snatched up a pair of her shoes off the floor and tossed it all into his duffel bag. Then he threw her over his shoulder like she was a wounded soldier or a pair of saddlebags. Then he grabbed the black duffel off the floor and raced from the room. They could hear the sounds of male voices shouting, students screaming, glass breaking and doors being kicked open elsewhere in the mansion. They could even smell the stink of the soldier's sweat and adrenalin – a heady combination.

"Victor!" Lupa yelled against his back, "_Ce zici _Rogue? _Nu suntem lăsând în spatele ei, ai ticalos! Ce zici _Rogue?"*

He knew she was pissed when she switched back into that damn Gypsy dialect, but he kept quiet while running down the hallway, following a specific scent trail. At the same second he reached the right door it opened, revealing a scared and gloveless Rogue clad only in a black nightgown. All three could hear the far off cries of her fellow students. For the first time, the teen was grateful that she'd been assigned to a room in the teacher's wing after accidentally absorbing Logan – shorter emergency response time.

"Let's go, Harlequin," Sabertooth grunted.

The teen looked at him with her big brown eyes, confused at the nickname (and at Lupa's spot heaved over the man's shoulder), but she decided to let it go until later, when it was safe. And the poison skinned girl had no doubt Victor was someone who could keep her safe if he put his mind to it. Thanks to their Lupa, it looked like he had.

Creed put down the Wolf Girl, who quickly hugged him and shot him a brilliant, fanged smile, "_Mulţumesc, iubit_."*

The three ran through the hallways, Sabertooth on point in front and the women slightly behind him, Lupa now carrying the duffel bag so Victor could keep his hands free. They ran into the first team of soldiers on the staircase. The ferocious male feral made quick work of the first two, slicing open throats and bellies with his sharp yellow talons, the humans barely had time to make a noise before they fell. The third and fourth he took a little longer with. With the third, Creed snatched the man's rifle away, wrenched both shoulders of out their sockets and then clawed from his chest down to his groin, shredding skin and muscle to bone. The last man was staring in shock at his fallen comrades so the feral swiped his nails across the soldier's face and neck, enjoying the feel of torn flesh and the chorus of gurgling moans. The dying men collapsed onto the floor like puppets with their strings cut, still making horrible, pathetic noises.

Hearing the girl, Rogue, whimper behind him, Victor swiftly snapped his victims' necks. Turning, he saw Lupa sending him a chiding glance as she held the terrified teenager in her arms. The message was clear, though she didn't disapprove of his actions, she would prefer him to be _quicker_ and _quieter_ about itwhilstin the presence of her pup.

They found Bobby and John one floor below, on the landing outside of the boys dorms, both looking pale and frightened. All three students flinched at the sudden tattooing of nearby gunfire.

"Boys, come over here and stay behind Victor," Lupa ordered firmly.

The two teens jumped to obey, grateful that this time, that Beast was on their side. The Wolf Girl and Sabertooth could smell Wolverine nearby and followed his scent another floor down to the school's main entryway. They watched as Logan dispatched two soldiers with his Adamantium claws, throwing the men over his shoulders like ragdolls with the shining blades.

"Nice moves, Runt," Creed grunted. He was pleased to see his brother's killer instincts hadn't been lost along with his memories.

Logan nodded once in acknowledgment. "Front's not an option, overrun with 'em. Try the back?" The Runt asked his brother in shorthand.

Bobby hesitantly spoke up, "There's, there's a secret passageway that leads to the garage in the left hallway one floor up. Maybe, maybe we could get out that way." He sounded and smelled nervous.

The three adults shared looks of agreement with one another.__So the group, now six strong, ran up the stairs and took a left down the wood-paneled hallway, making their way towards the hidden escape route Bobby told them about. The kid banged a couple of times on a specific wooden panel but couldn't budge it. Victor pushed him out of the way and slammed his fist on it. The compartment door slid open and he shoved the nearest student, Pyro, through it. Iceman and Rogue were next, followed by Lupa who struggled to latch onto Creed, to have him come in next. But as she fought to keep her hold on him, gunfire and shouting could be heard elsewhere in the mansion.

He locked eyes with Logan, silently communicating between themselves. Decision made, Victor pushed both the duffel bag and Lupa inside. He quickly shut the panel door, hoping his angel would have enough sense to keep running and not stick around for them. As long as his mate got away, he didn't give a shit what happened next. Plus if Jimmy was staying behind, so was he – his inner beast was itching for a good fight anyway and these fuckers had invaded his den, temporary as it was. They had to die. It was the principle of the thing.

The brothers stood tall side by side, Sabertooth's fierce talons fully extended and Wolverine's set of metal claws glinting in the light. It was obvious they were brothers in that moment. Anyone could see it. The matching fighting stances, the confident smirks, even their similar muttonchops. Not to mention both had chosen to wear dark blue jeans and white muscle shirts that day. Their boots _were_ different though, Victor's black whereas Logan's were brown. Creed did have about six or so inches on Jimmy, but that was balanced out by the younger feral's heavier weight, compliments of his Adamantium skeleton.

About a dozen soldiers ran into the hallway, shining flashlights and rifle lasers in the male feral's faces. Guns could be heard jostling and heavy boots shuffling as there was a brief second of hesitation, the calm just before the storm.

Logan was the first to break it, "You wanna shoot us? Come on! Fuckin' shoot us!"° He bellowed at the shadowy figures not 20 feet from them. His elder brother kept quiet but had a cruelly delighted smirk on his face.

"No, wait! Don't shoot them!"° A voice shouted from behind the armed humans. "Not yet."°

Victor and Jimmy tried to see through the lights glaring in their eyes, but they couldn't catch a glimpse of the speaker – though they heard him slowly approach. Frustratingly, there was too much gunpowder, sweat and blood contaminating the air for either mutant to identify the newcomer by scent.

"Sabertooth. Wolverine,"° the stranger greeted as he stepped into the light. He was a portly man wearing glasses, in his 60s perhaps, with graying hair and a salt and pepper goatee. There was a kind of disturbing geniality about him, the light tone of his voice and slight smile on his lips, but he appeared fairly harmless all in all.

Flushed and almost panting with fury at the sight before him, Victor snarled and moved as if to jump forward, but was restrained both by his brother physically holding him back and by the sounds of guns cocking. He and the Runt didn't stand a chance against a dozen heavily armed soldiers, not unless they wanted to get themselves captured while passed out from blood loss. Creed's muscles were nonetheless tensed and primed to pounce at any moment. He cracked his knuckles and clenched his fists. What Sabertooth wouldn't give for a _real _chance at this man...

"How long has it been? 20, 25 years? And neither of you have changed one bit. Me on the other hand...Nature,"° he gestured to his weathered face.

"What do you want," Logan questioned the older man darkly, seeing his brother was occupied at the moment focused on controlling his infamous temper.

_Vic's gotta know the guy...I swear, if that asshole of a brother of mine brought his own goddamn troubles down on us here at the mansion I'll gut him like a fish!_

Jimmy's thoughts were interrupted when the older man smiled. "Well I must admit, this is certainly the last place I ever expected to find you two. I didn't realize Xavier was taking in animals,"° he mocked darkly with a cultured accent.

"Who are you?"° Jimmy barked, fast loosing his patience with the situation, the stranger and his brother. Victor seemed to be taking his own damn time getting a hold of himself.

"Don't you remember, James?"° The man asked almost teasingly.

"Stryker," Victor spat out in a snarling voice, as if the very taste of that name was poison on his lips. He had gotten his shit together but struggled to keep it, his inner beast begging, ordering, shouting to go after the Colonel. To do _some_thing and to do it _NOW_.

"I see your brother still remembers, that warms my heart..." But whatever Stryker was going to say next was lost, as a wall of ice began to form in the space between the brothers and soldiers, effectively separating them.

"NO!" Sabertooth roared, enraged that his prey had been stolen away from him. He leapt forward to bang his fists on the frozen barrier, clawing at it wildly. "_NO!_"

He had been so close...

Logan stared at the ice wall in shocked wonderment. Where the fuck had that thing come from, he wondered. A moment later he caught the anxious scents of Bobby and Marie coming from behind him. He and Rogue had their heads stuck out of the passageway's opening looking like a couple of gophers in PJs.

"Logan! Come on!"° The Ice Kid called out, his hand still on the wall to keep the trick going and the blockade up.

The brothers ignored him, intent on studying the icy obstacle for weaknesses, a way to get through it, around it, over it or under it.

"Logan, Victor! Let's _go!_"° Rogue tried desperately, the boys hadn't wanted to wait for the ferals and she'd had a hard enough time getting Bobby to come back.

Plus she was worried for Lupa. As soon as Victor had slammed the door shut behind the female feral, she had gone cold, emotionless, practically robotic. The woman had chosen stayed with Pyro while the other two teens went back, her face utterly blank and empty. Marie wasn't sure if it was because she was reliving some past trauma, if this attack had triggered some bad memories. Or if it was because Victor had left.

"Go on, kid! We'll be fine,"° Wolverine dismissed the young woman, barely glancing at her as he spoke.

Victor was pacing and kept his focus on the wall and what waited behind it. The Sabertooth wanted to end it all here. Now.

"But _we_ won't,"° the teenager threw back, reminding the men of the consequences of their choices.

Perhaps the brothers would be fine. And maybe they would succeed in taking out Stryker for good. Yet at what cost? What could happen in the meantime to Lupa? To Marie? To those damn boys, Sparky and Snowball or whatever. Most of the other students had fled the mansion safely, earlier Logan had sent Colossus out with a large group of them, but each of the three ferals knew not all of the children could have been so lucky.

Creed's head had snapped to Rogue when she said that. It was almost like she'd slapped him with her words. The men rushed back up the corridor as they heard muffled voices coming through the frozen barricade. It sounded like soldier's had stuck something into the ice, maybe a grenade? The fleeing mutants heard the explosion from inside the escape route, the hidden door safely secured behind them.

When the four reached Pyro and Lupa in the garage no time was wasted in greetings. The brothers quickly scanned the available cars until both sets of eyes settled on a brand spanking new black Chevy Tahoe. Room enough to fit all of them, heavy duty steel frame, four wheel drive and excellent acceleration. Perfect.

In unspoken agreement Sabertooth got in the driver's seat with Logan in shotgun. Bobby and John got into the way back and Lupa and Rogue huddle together (carefully) in the middle row.

"This is Cyclops' new car. He got it last week," a helpful voice chimed in from the peanut gallery.

Creed let a smirk slip and Logan let out a rough chuckle as they roared away from the school and out of danger.

oOo

That had been hours ago. It was decided they would go to Boston to find Storm and Jean. Pyro had accidentally found Scott's hidden X-Men cell (an X-Phone? Victor wondered), but they'd had no luck reaching Xavier or any of the team members. Boston was closer than Magneto's prison where the Professor and One Eye were supposed to be, plus Bobby's family lived just outside the city. Creed said he had a condo in the North End, but Logan refused let the kids stay there, said it was too risky what with all of Sabertooth's enemies.

Lupa had remained almost entirely silent the whole trip. Not saying more than a few soft words in response to questions from Marie or John and Bobby. Neither brother had tried to engage her in conversation. At first because they had been so focused on escape, then on what to do and where to go, not to mention the time they spent rehashing the events they'd just survived. Then each man had picked up on the subtle and bitterly sweet scent of sadness and pain. But it was mixed with something else too, something elusive and ever changing...Something like

Anger.

Fear.

Disappointment.

Logan and Victor were wise enough to leave the Wolf Girl alone for the time being, let her work out what she was feeling before pestering her about it, fussing over her as she would probably say. And she spent that time thinking. Thinking that _so much has changed in so little time_. Thinking that things were so different from what they had been less than half a day prior. Lupa felt the awful doubt gnawing away inside her. When he pushed her inside the hidden tunnel and slammed the door shut, she felt the poison of it spread throughout her body like a kind of creeping numbness.

Victor had been going to leave her. No, he _had_ left her. Left her alone...

oOo

Halfway to Massachusetts the boys had fallen asleep. Logan dropped off soon after and Lupa followed quickly, her clawed hand resting protectively on Marie's covered knee.

"V-Victor?" Rogue asked quietly, not wanting to wake anyone.

"Yeah, frail?" He husked from the driver's seat.

"What – Why did you call me 'Harlequin' earlier?"

"You ever seen those bright frogs from South America? The colorful ones – blue, red, orange an' yellow." Creed didn't move his eyes from the road.

"Yeah, they're beautiful."

"Called Harlequins."

Both were silent for a few beats.

"They – they're poisonous aren't they?" The teen murmured, her scent resigned.

"Only if someone fucks with 'em."

oOo

**A/N: OK, so it's past 3 AM and I haven't done a final check or read through, but I wanted to post this ASAP for my wonderful readers and reviewers. I'll post the final version with individual shout outs (edited and EXTENDED) in a couple days. Also check out my profile to vote in my poll!**

oOo

**Below are the translations of what Lupa says to Victor when he tells her the mansion is under attack.**

***_Prietene_, what about Rogue?[[[Mate, what about Rogue? ]]]**

***Victor! _Ce zici _Rogue? _Nu suntem lăsând în spatele ei, ai ticalos! Ce zici _Rogue?[[[ Victor! What about Rogue? We are not leaving her behind, you bastard! What about Rogue? ]]]**

***_Mulţumesc, iubit _[[[ Thank you, beloved ]]]**

oOo

**°Dialogue taken directly from the scene in X-Men 2, though some lines I did alter and/or extend to better fit my own storyline and plot.**

oOo

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	19. 18 Corpus Vile

Chapter 18

Corpus Vile

"I am exact and merciless, but I love you. There is no escape for you."  
Walt Whitman

When they finally arrived at Bobby's house everyone but the Wolf Girl was awake. Victor parked half a block up from the two story suburban home and growled for everyone to get out, he and Lupa would catch up. Logan left reluctantly but Rogue just smiled a little at the grouchy feral and hurried the boys out from the back of the SUV. Creed watched the foursome walk down the block in the rear view mirror, then adjusted it for a better glimpse of the woman sitting behind him on the opposite side of the car. Still using the mirror, he flicked his eyes over to his 'sleeping' mate. She had tucked her legs to one side and was resting a pale cheek just below seat's headrest, her curls thick enough to act like a pillow against the leather. He studied her dark lashes then lowered his gaze to her delicate lips, letting his mind wander a bit. Victor had been scenting sadness, disappointment and anger coming off his angel since they'd fled the mansion. Only now, instead of anger, there was resignation, and it was sour.

Creed was certain she hadn't been hurt in their escape – she didn't smell like physical pain or blood. And he'd gotten the kid for her like she wanted, even picked up two more strays along the way too. She hadn't seemed to mind him killing last night either...So what the fuck was wrong? The Sabertooth didn't like his mate being upset and demanded that the man find out what the hell was going on. He had cleared the car to give them privacy in order to do just that.

"Talk to me," the mercenary ordered gruffly, still staring at her image in the mirror. She would know what he meant.

She kept quiet for a moment, eyes remaining closed. Then Lupa licked her lips and gently spoke, "In the hallway. You left me. Pushed me in the tunnel after the pups and shut the door for us to make our own way. You chose instead to remain behind and fight those men with Jimmy Runt."

Creed had nothing to say to that. It was true. But before his anger had time to build, before he could snap at her and say it was for her own protection, that he'd done it to give her a chance for a clean getaway and not to fucking question him again, she opened her eyes and continued.

"Do you know what they called me, Victor? Those men working for Stryker on Three Mile Island? 'Corpus vile.' It is Latin – a medical term... It means 'worthless body.'" She laughed quietly, bitterly. "To those men in white coats and white gloves, that is all I was. An expendable, worthless body that stained their white hands red..."

There it was again, a whiff of resignation. It gave him an unpleasant tightening feeling in his chest. He could hear the unspoken worry in her words, that perhaps she was worthless to him as well. That that was why he had no problems being apart from her.

Creed was thinking over how to answer her, how to explain that he wasn't good at this taking care of people shit yet. That in spite of the anger that flooded him last night and made him stay behind without her, he did not think her without worth or replaceable, when she suddenly switched subjects.

"Victor...What was in the letter you wrote to me all those years ago?" Her bold silver gaze met his blue one in the windshield mirror.

"_What?_" That was a surprise to the male feral. "Ya never read it?"

"I – I could not. No one, no one ever taught me to read," Lupa admitted, embarrassment making her avert her eyes.

"Runt didn't read it to ya?"

"I never asked him. I was too ashamed. I had planned to ask you to read it to me when you returned. But, then those men came..."

"I got there probably no more 'en 12 hours after it all went down – could still smell the fuckin' teargas they used. Found my coat, letter was in the inside pocket."

"Do you still have it?" She met his eyes in the rearview mirror again as she asked.

"In the same pocket." He waited a few beats before speaking again, now his turn to look away. "I wrote ya why I wasn't gonna be there when ya woke up, that I was doing what I had ta ta keep ya safe. That I'd be back soon, when business was taken care of, but if I didn't come back, then ya should stick with Jimmy and run. Hide in the Canadian wild if the two of ya got separated...An' that I'd find ya again. No matter what it took. No matter how long. No matter where ya were. I'd find ya." He looked in the mirror as he spoke those last three words.

"And you did. Though I suppose, technically, I was the one to find you. In Xavier's prized rose garden no less. Do not tell him, but I have always preferred daffodils, myself."

Victor couldn't help but smirk briefly at her random comment and the tiny glint of humor in her eyes. Damned if she wasn't amusing.

"You should not have left me. Not so soon after we just found each other again."

He frowned, a contemplative look on his visage, "No. I shouldn't of. Temper got the best of me. Woulda been smarter ta stick together. Keep with ya, make sure ya were safe... Been awhile since I've had someone ta look after." Then Creed's voice deepened, becoming harder, "But I'm gonna do whatever the fuck I gotta ta do in order ta keep ya safe. An' sometimes that might mean doin' shit you won't like. It's fer yer own good so if I tell ya ta run, ya run. If I gotta take care of a threat 'gainst us, ya sure as hell won't be comin' with me." His last words were harsh, but strangely, that fierceness seemed to comfort Lupa.

She nodded and her face softened. This was as close to an apology as Victor Creed ever came. Lupa considered it better than one anyway, it was an explanation, insight into his thinking.

"Why haven't you told anyone 'bout us, baby girl?" Creed hadn't meant to say it, but it just slipped out without him really thinking about it.

She sat up straighter and looked away from the mirror, directly at him. He turned his body to meet her gaze from across the car.

"I was afraid," she started hesitantly, almost whispering. "I had not seen you for so many years, even to this day I do not know exactly how many we were kept apart..."

"1974 was the last time I saw ya. It's been 26 years," he offered.

"26 years...Strange. It seemed to go on forever, but hearing the actual number, I almost cannot believe it." Lupa sighed and started again, "26 years is a long time, Victor. I was afraid the X-Men would not understand. How could they? That I met a man and from the first second I saw him, scented him, I _knew_ he belonged to me? That I belonged to him? And that this man worked for the same people who kidnapped me, a man who walked freely in the same facility I was kept caged within? That I knew this man for less than a week and have not seen him since he and his brother helped me runaway? And that now that I was free once more, I had to find him because I need him to survive? That he has a hold upon my very _soul_?How could they understand that?" She laughed sardonically.

"The bond between us, it is something even I do not fully comprehend. What if you did not feel it as I do? What if I was wrong about everything and...and you, and you did not want me?" She said this last part very quietly, feeling both embarrassed and frightened.

She was surprised as he swiftly snatched her wrist and bodily pulled her forward so they were only inches apart. He held her face with his enormous, clawed hands and stared deep into her eyes. The Wolf Girl could feel the tips of his nails just barely cutting into her skin.

"Listen up good, baby girl, 'cause you should really know this by now. Yer **mine**. You'll always be **mine**. I'll always want ya. I'll always come for ya. No one will **ever** keep you from me and I will **never** give you up. _Got it_? You belong to **me**. You are **my mate**. **Mine**." He snapped in a fierce tone, feeling slightly exasperated that she did not understand.

Lupa stared back for a long moment. Then she smiled at him, doubt draining from her. Again his intensity, his vehemency, calmed her fears and relaxed her.

"Yes, _Prietene_."* She closed the short distance between them, brushing her lips against his softly before retreating. "Should we go inside?"

"In a sec." Once more the male feral yanked the female closer to him to kiss her again. He claimed her sweet mouth with his, slipping his tongue inside and caressing her own. Victor could feel the Sabertooth inside him purring, very pleased with the turn of events. He wondered if her wolf was responding in the same way as his tiger...

Finally after a few minutes they broke apart, both slightly panting, pupils dilated with passion. Each feral felt as if a live current of electricity was tingling underneath their skin, running through their veins.

"You gonna tell 'em?"

The Wolf Girl knew exactly what he was referring to. "Yes, Victor. I will tell Logan first as he is family. It is funny, though we became as like siblings on Prince Edward Island, I never asked him to read me your letter because then I would have to tell him I could not read. I was afraid he would not think I was worthy of you, his brother. Now I worry that he will take on the role of _my _overprotective brother. Perhaps Scott as well..." Lupa smiled, imagining two of her favorite men threatening her mate with violence if he did not treat her well.

Creed kept quiet. So she didn't know how the Runt felt about her. Thought of him as her brother, apparently had since the very beginning. Sabertooth wondered if Jimmy was going to make things difficult once she told the Badger the lay of the land.

"Let's head in."

oOo

Shortly after Victor and Lupa joined Logan and the three teenagers, Bobby's parents and brother showed up. After first encountering an awkward (though scary looking) Wolverine, Lupa decided a little damage control was necessary. The female feral smiled sweetly at the Drakes (without showing her teeth, not wanting to frighten them with her inch long fangs) and introduced herself as their son's history teacher. After the obligatory group name exchange, Mrs. Drake nervously asked what Logan taught and was answered with the gruff reply of, 'art.' Creed nearly purred in mischievous delight when the housewife looked at him expectantly.

"Game theory. And Phys. Ed.," he answered with a wink and hint of a dark smirk. A very old and primitive part of Mr. and Mrs. Drake's brains was screaming _DANGER_ at them, they were in the presence of predators. But neither human fully registered the warning, it merely made Bobby's parents feel indistinctly discomforted...

Even before the cell phone they'd found in Cyclops' car started ringing in Jimmy's pocket, Sabertooth could tell this was going to turn into a shit show. When the Runt left the room to talk to what sounded like the Weather Witch, Mother Drake had the fucking nerve to ask her cub if he had ever tried _not_ being a mutant? Lupa smoothly placed her hand on Victor's arm when she heard that one, hoping to keep his temper in check. She needn't have worried though, Creed wasn't about to fuck up again. Not in front of Lupa. And slaughtering an entire human family would most certainly be considered fucking up. Besides, the feline feral recognized this kind of bigotry, it was pathetically familiar therefore fairly easy for him to ignore.

Just as the Wolverine got off the phone, they could hear the approaching sirens of what sounded like a whole squadron of cop cars. That shitty excuse the Ice Kid claimed as a little brother had called them after he stormed off, probably said his family was being held hostage by mutant terrorists or some bullshit. The three ferals and three students hurried out onto the front porch, Victor and Logan in front, Lupa and the teenagers behind their bulk, closer to the doorway. They had hoped to have time to make it to Scott's Chevy Tahoe before the cavalry arrived. Seeing a couple dozen shotguns, rifles and handguns aimed at them instead, both brothers instinctively released their claws. Victor shot a quick look behind him to make sure Lupa and Rogue were blocked from sight.

Two officers were carefully approaching the group on either side of the porch. One of the panicked cops ordered the Runt to 'drop the knives!'

_Fucking idiots_.

Creed hadn't even been that pissed off with the situation until one of them shot _his_ pathetic excuse for a little brother. Especially since the cop had shot him while he was trying to explain he couldn't drop the so called knives. _Now_ he was pissed. Sure Jimmy was going be fine (a regular bullet not being able to penetrate his Adamantium skull), but it was the fucking principle of the thing. That was _his_ brother and damned if anybody was gonna make him bleed but Victor!

Sabertooth shoved a terrified Rogue and a tense Lupa to the ground, crouching over their bodies, even more livid that they were in danger. The feral snarled and bared his fangs at the two policemen as they ordered everyone to drop to their knees. Bobby fell to the porch, laying next to Logan's apparently lifeless body. But Pyro remained standing. Creed could scent the firebug's growing rage and looked up just in time to see the boy tell the freaked out cops that he was one of those _dangerous mutants_ people kept talking about. Then the little bastard threw a couple fireballs, knocking the closest officers onto the ground. The kid seemed to have lost it, shooting flames at the cop cars and flipping them high into the air. His eyes burned with a wrathful, insane inner fire.

It was pandemonium as police scattered like ants to seek shelter.

_FUBAR_,* Victor coldly thought.

Creed was about to jump up and grab the kid, maybe break his arm to get his attention, but Rogue had a better idea.

"Victor! He's not gonna stop, lemme touch him!" She cried out, removing her right glove.

"Watch yerself, frail," Creed warned as the teen crept forward to lay her bare hand on Pyro's leg. Sabertooth wondered if she'd have enough control over the newly absorbed mutation to be able to manipulate the fires.

It took only seconds for the boy to feel Marie draining him and as he collapsed, a pale John watched her call the flames back using his stolen powers. Victor nodded at Rogue in approval, impressed with the kid as he looked at the wreckage, now only smoking, no longer in flames.

As the fires began to go out, the wind kicked up quite a bit. It was the Blackbird. Jean and Ororo had arrived.

oOo

**A/N: OK, so I know I never went back and put up the shout outs in the last chapter but life has gotten in the way of my writing. My grandmother suffered a stroke and I've been dealing with the resulting fallout. So sorry for no shout outs in this chapter either, but I just didn't have the time. Once things have calmed down a bit I PROMISE I'll go back and post them. I just figured you all would rather have a new chapter than wait for me to have time to write out individual thank yous. But THANK YOU to anyone who has reviewed, I truly, truly appreciate it! **

**Please review this chappie and let me know what you think of it, I'm a tad worried it's blah...**

**Remember, Cupcakes for Reviews!**

**Oh and I own nothing Stan Lee, Marvel or 20th Century Fox does!**

*****_**Prietene**_ **= Mate**

*****_**FUBAR **_**= US Military acronym for "****F****ucked ****U****p ****B****eyond ****A****ll ****R****epair." Pronounced FOO-BAR, coined in WWII.**


	20. 19 The Girl with Curls and Fangs

**A/N: I don't make any money with this so please don't sue me. All things X-Men belong to Stan Lee, Marvel and 20th Century Fox, not me. Duh.**

**Chapter 18 Recap:**

_Creed was about to jump up and grab Pyro, maybe break his arm to get his attention and end his fiery rampage, but Rogue had a better idea._

_"Victor! He's not gonna stop, lemme touch him!" She cried out, removing her right glove._

_"Watch yerself, frail," Creed warned as the teen crept forward to lay her bare hand on Pyro's leg. Sabertooth wondered if she'd have enough control over the newly absorbed mutation to be able to manipulate the fires._

_It took only seconds for the boy to feel Marie draining him and as he collapsed, a pale John watched her call the flames back using his stolen powers. Victor nodded at Rogue in approval, impressed with the kid as he looked at the wreckage, now only smoking, no longer in flames._

_As the fires began to go out, the wind kicked up quite a bit. It was the Blackbird. Jean and Ororo had arrived._

Chapter 19

The Girl With The Curl In The Middle Of Her Forehead & Fangs Between Her Teeth

The brothers were both grim faced as they made their way up the Blackbird's ramp, following Lupa and the three teenagers. Behind them a fair portion of the Boston PD was left dazed in their wake as well as a respectable amount of property damage. All of a sudden, Victor let out a quietly amused chuckle. Rogue glanced over her shoulder at him, a question in her eyes.

"Didja see the look on that pig's face when he saw the Runt get up? Fuckin' priceless. Fifty bucks says he never pulls his gun again an' takes early retirement," Victor gleefully explained to the teen, sounding very pleased. Creed had thoroughly enjoyed the shock on the young cop's face when the same suspect he'd just _shot in the head_, stood up.

Logan couldn't help but snicker, it had been pretty funny. The cop looked like he was gonna piss his pants...

Somewhere in the back of the Wolverine's mind he recognized the easy camaraderie that currently existed between the two male ferals. Laughing with Sabertooth, especially after a fight, felt familiar in a really fucking weird way. It was so weird that Logan wouldn't let himself stop and analyze it just yet.

When Logan reached the top of the ramp just ahead of Victor, he felt a sharp smack upside the back of his head. He whipped around to snarl at the taller feral, "What the hell?"

"Don't let that shit happen again, little brother. Jus' fuckin' careless..." Creed growled, suddenly dead serious. Without another word he turned and made his way further inside the jet. Logan gaped after him, irritated and confused.

"The last time you were shot in the head, Jimmy Runt, you lost your memories and he lost his brother," Lupa commented softly from next to him. She looked into his eyes briefly to see if he understood before moving to sit down. The three scared teenagers followed the woman's example and went to take their own seats.

Now irritated, confused _and_ unsettled, Logan turned a scowl to the stranger already seated on the jet. He couldn't help but feel territorial in his position as the only male X-Man present and barked out a harsh, "Who're you?"

"My name iz Kurt Vagner," the blue man enthusiastically announced in a thick German accent. "But in de Munich Cirkus I vaz known az de Incredible-"

"Never mind, bub," Wolverine impatiently interrupted, pushing forward to the cockpit to speak with Storm and Jean.

With everyone safely inside, Ororo had already raised the ramp and taken off, wanting to get as far away from the chaotic scene below them as possible.

Rogue and Bobby sat next to each other in the first row of the right aisle, just ahead of a still sulking John. On the opposite side was Kurt, known in the Munich Circus as the Incredible Nightcrawler. Victor and Lupa were several rows back on the left, separated from the others thanks to the former's antisocial tendencies.

Sabertooth did not play well with others.

At least those outside his pack.

His rapidly growing pack.

Now instead of just Jimmy, Creed had a mate as well as a young female to look after, a kind of nearly-grown foster cub. Somewhere in the back of the mercenary's mind, he felt he should be experiencing a kind of umbrage at his new responsibilities. Maybe even resentment or regret at the loss of his previous freedom and solitary existence. But he didn't feel any of that.

He couldn't _ever_ imagine regretting being reunited with his mate and thus far, he hadn't regretted Rogue's inclusion to the pack either. In fact, the feral couldn't help but be pleased with the girl; she'd had the presence of mind to grab his and Lupa's duffel bag while fleeing the Drake's house and the cops. The black bag was tucked underneath her seat even now. Not to mention the balls it took for her to touch the Fire Freak back there and douse out his explosive temper tantrum. Little frail had moxie... Yep, Sabertooth couldn't help but be pleased with his new family.

It wasn't long until the other shoe dropped for the mutants though. Minutes into the flight, two F-22 Raptors* flanked the Blackbird mid air, ordering them over the radio to drop to 20,000 feet and to prepare to be escorted to the nearest U.S. Military base. They were given three warnings – all ignored – before the jets dropped back, out of sight. Everyone was waiting tensely and Wolverine took the opportunity to snap at John for making such a scene at Bobby's house. Victor couldn't help but agree with his brother and growled deep in chest as back-up, just loud enough for the boy to hear. They might have been able to make a clean getaway had it not been for the pyrotechnics.

Things happened very fast after that. Storm sounded near panic when she announced they'd been fired upon and two missiles were tracking them. Everyone scrambled to buckle up, but no one noticed the difficulty the gloved Rogue was having with her seat belt. From what the Wolf Girl pieced together later, the Weather Witch managed to call up a bevy of tornadoes and lightning to disable both F-22s while Dr. Grey psychically detonated one of the missiles. But the redhead wasn't able to take out the second projectile in time and it scored a glancing blow, tearing a gaping hole in the rear of the Blackbird.

In a split second Rogue was sucked out of her seat toward the newly created exit. Both Lupa and Logan screamed out her name in fear and horror, each frozen in shock. It was Victor who shot his arm out in time and managed to grab a hold of the teenager's wrist before she was ripped from the plane. Determined blue eyes locked onto panicked brown ones as time seemed to hold still. The moment was broken when Sabertooth felt his grip loosen a bit and the teenager jerked backward. The feral used all of his massive strength to painstakingly pull the frightened girl forward inch by inch onto his lap where he wrapped arms like steel bands around her, holding her to him securely. His Lupa would not lose her adopted cub if he had anything to say about it. Of course, Victor contemplated, he could have only temporarily saved the kid's life. If they crashed, the only ones who _might _survive would be himself, Lupa and Jimmy thanks to their healing factors.

It was abundantly clear to everyone on board that while they may have solved one problem (i.e. the missiles), another, larger, problem was looming, specifically, the ground. So it was a great surprise when the jet unexpectedly gave a great creaking groan only yards away from striking Earth, frozen midair at a 45 degree angle. Confused, Creed sat up from his seat and peered through the cockpit window. Outside stood two figures, a male and female, the male holding one arm aloft, his hand and fingers extended as if in greeting.

Just his luck to get his ass saved by goddamn Magneto and his bitchy blue sidekick, Victor grumbled to himself.

oOo

Hours after their near-crash, Rogue, Kurt, Bobby and John were huddled around a campfire, several tents at their backs and a sky full of stars shining down on the little group. About 50 feet away, behind a scattering of trees, a second group circled their own fire. This one made up by Victor, Lupa, Logan, Ororo, Jean, Magneto and Mystique. The mood was tense and uncomfortable, bordering on awkward even. No one really seemed to know what to say or how to begin. Finally Magneto spoke, "Well, I'll start, shall I?"

Erik explained how he'd learned a man named William Stryker was behind the presidential assassination attempt, having drugged the would-be mutant assassin with a special mind-controlling compound. It was injected in the back of the neck and gave the Colonel absolute power over the subject's body and actions. He was also experimenting on mutants, including his own son Jason who had the ability to create and project incredibly realistic illusions.

Stryker had raided Xavier's school in order to procure Cerebro, a crucial tool in his plan to wipe out mutantkind. And now the madman had the Professor and Cyclops in his possession. Charles would be drugged with the solution and used against his will to power Cerebro, forced into wiping out every mutant on the planet using Erik and his own creation.

Now the trick was to figure out where Stryker was hiding and get there before it was too late. It was decided by general consensus Jean would ask permission to search Nightcrawler's mind for any hidden memories of his captivity that might prove useful. Ororo volunteered to retrieve the man in question, but Victor stopped her.

"No need, Stormy," he flicked his eyes upward.

Everyone glanced up at the same time to see Nightcrawler dangling upside down from an overhead tree branch. The blue man smiled shyly and waved, embarrassed at getting caught eavesdropping.

It didn't take long for the good doctor to convince Kurt to allow her access to his memories of his kidnapping and the time he spent under the drug's control. After only 10 or so minutes Jean was done and informed the group Stryker had a secret base far to the north, near Alkali Lake. Everyone knew that was where they all, both Brotherhood and X-Man, would be flying on the Blackbird tomorrow morning. In unspoken agreement, their usual differences and past issues would be set aside in order to prevent global mutant genocide and to rescue Charles, Scott and the stolen children.

The meeting now complete, Ororo, Jean and Kurt went back to the waiting students, leaving the three ferals and two accused terrorists alone. It was silent again around the campfire for several strained minutes. Finally Lupa allowed herself to look at her Victor, she'd been holding herself back around him for fear of revealing too much of their relationship to the strangers. Creed was staring intently at the old man and his female companion. Despite his poker face and neutral body language, she could tell he wanted to speak with these new people in private. Without her and Jimmy Runt.

For a long moment Lupa was tempted to take offense, to allow herself the selfish indulgence to feel betrayed and wounded even as both of those emotions and more warred with each other inside her head and heart. But if her long life had taught this woman anything, it was patience. She would speak with him later and ask him his reasons for not wanting her or his brother present. And if her bond with Victor was strong enough for her to be able to read him as easily as she just had, to feel as she did, then she must trust in that connection. Trust that he felt it too and just as strongly as her. That he had a good reason.

Nearly 18 decades of life had also taught her courage and faith in herself. She would follow her instincts and keep her trust in her mate.

Considering also that this might be the last opportunity for her to speak with Logan alone, Lupa decided she might as well take advantage of it.

"Logan and I will see you back at the tents, _m__ulţumesc._"* The Wolf Girl smiled gently at him, trying to convey she understood what he needed right now and had faith in him.

Victor nodded once, glad and slightly surprised that she could read him so well to have picked up on his desire for time alone with Erik and Raven. Admittedly he was not happy about it, feeling disgruntled at the idea they were going to be separated, however brief in time or short in distance. Still, he knew it had to be done. Lupa could keep the Runt out of the way while he spoke with Bucket Head and Blue Butt. Oddly enough, Creed also felt a strange kind of gratitude that his mate had apparently understood his motives for the separation and not mistaken it for rejection. That she hadn't been..._hurt_ by him. Sabertooth growled inside his mind at the very possibility.

She could also break the news to the Badger about being off the market. The animal in Creed almost wished he could see the look on Jimmy's face when the Runt heard she belonged to _him_! But he had a feeling his angel wouldn't appreciate any interference (much less gloating) on his part. Best save it until the brothers were alone.

Though sorely tempted, Sabertooth did not reach out to kiss or touch the Wolf Girl when she stood up with Logan. He resisted (with effort) the urge to publicly display his claim on her before he had spoken with Erik and Raven. No need to tip his hand yet. Instead, the dark haired feral kept both of his blue eyes locked on his mate's small form as she walked toward the other campfire, a Wolverine hovering close by her side.

oOo

The threesome kept silent for several minutes, all simply staring into the fire, lost in their own thoughts and musings. Magneto broke the quiet first, speaking in a falsely cheerful and charming tone.

"I must say, I am surprised at the company you are keeping these days, Victor. Traveling with two of Charles' do-gooders, a man who has tried to kill you each time he sees you, _and_ three children? One of whom I do believe you were hired to kidnap only six months ago... My, my. What _would_ people say about the Big Bad Sabertooth now?" Erik smiled delightedly at the target of his goading, eager to see if his poking had provoked the beast.

"Lehnsherr, I stopped givin' a rats ass what people said 'bout me long before yer grandparents were even born," Victor dryly commented. Idly thinking on it now, he figured he'd probably stopped caring sometime before the Mexican-American War back in '48. 1848, that is. _Goddamn Santa Anna_...*

"And may I assume that the girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead and fangs between her teeth, is the missing feral you have been hunting for these past two decades?" Erik asked, looking for all the world like a guileless, kindly old gentleman.

Creed stayed silent and only smiled a pleased little smile, looking up at the bitter man from across the flames. He wasn't at all fooled by the act. Mags never asked a question that he didn't already know the answer to, not if he could help it.

"Beautiful hair and such unusual eyes. It's a shame about her..._disfigurement_, though. I imagine she'd be lovely without those scars..."

That comment _did_ hit the target however, and provoke a response. Sabertooth snapped his head up from the burning coals and shot a lethal glare at him. If Creed hadn't known exactly how much sick satisfaction Erik would have derived from it, the male feral would have eagerly growled off a list of impressively creative and wholly original torture techniques, threatening to use them all if the wrinkled bag of bones dared speak of his female so disrespectfully again.

But that would just be giving the metal-manipulator what he wanted: an emotional reaction. The old bastard seemed to feed off of such things after scoring a direct hit. He'd lap up insight into any possible new weakness of Victor's. Something to exploit and hold over the feral. Knowledge that could be used in leverage against him, now or in the future. So Creed held his anger in, despite the internal raging of his animal demanding satisfaction for the insult against his mate. _Later_, he assured his beast, _Later_...

"Well, I must admit she is quite striking nonetheless. Something about her just draws one's eye," Magneto acknowledged, his voice honey-smooth, as if with false sincerity. Had it not been for his enhanced sense of smell, Creed never would have known the man was paying no false compliment. Then Erik said something which only made things worse, "I wonder if she would be interested in joining with us. Then again, she is traveling with the X-Men, perhaps she has already chosen a side, Charles can be quite persuasive. Yet, so can I..."

"She's _mine,_" Sabertooth snarled in warning. Time to speed things along. He was fast losing his patience, both man and animal despised being forced to listen to this weak male speak of his precious mate. He stared across the fire at the wrinkled man and yellow-eyed woman. Both had only known him _after_ he had found and then lost Lupa. They never knew him during the short time he'd had with her. Perhaps now would be a good time to educate them in what had changed.

"Listen up, Mags. I couldn't give a flyin' **fuck** 'bout yer boy Charlie or his little band of boy scouts. I don't buy inta his dreams fer some goddamn mutant-human utopia an' I wouldn't give two shits if he up an' died tomorrow. I don't care 'bout you or the Brotherhood or yer bullshit rhetoric or yer grand plans either. I worked with ya 'cause ya paid me well, both in money an' violence. I ain't got any loyalty fer you or fer him... But my woman, Logan and the girl – Rogue? _They're mine_. And you. Will. Not. Touch. Them."

The pair of Brotherhood mutants tried to cover their shock and unease at this sudden change in the normally emotionless, soulless mercenary they'd worked with for years, disturbed by the visceral vehemence in Victor's tone as well as the look in his eyes. They were no longer cold and dead, frightening because of their endless, sucking void – a place where _some_thing should reside, but doesn't.

Now Creed's gaze blazed with an unstoppable scorching fury that completely filled the standard emptiness in his baby blues. It was a wild, overflowing, unquenchable rage that was as terrifying as the previous overwhelming _n__othing_it replaced. He looked more alive, and oddly enough, human, than either mutant had ever seen him.

"You will not touch them. Any of them. Ever. Or I will do ta you, Erik, what ya paid me ta do ta that man in Argentina back in '91. Got me?"

"Yes, I think we understand each other quite well, Victor."

oOo

**A/N: Wow, been a while hasn't it? Sorry about that. Next chapter will be up quicker, it's already partly finished. PLEASE REVIEW and I'll have it up faster! Plus you get a cupcake too. XD **

**CHECK OUT THE POLLS ON MY PROFILE AND VOTE!**

***F-22 Raptor – The most bad ass military jet in the world, U.S. Air Force.**

**_*Mulţumesc_ = Beloved (in Romani)**

*******Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón** **(who we'll just call Santa Anna)**** was president of Mexico at the time of the Mexican-American War as well as a military general who took part in many vicious, bloody battles against the US military.**

**Also, the complete nursery rhyme Magneto used used is:**

_**There once was a girl with a curl in the middle of her forehead and when she was good she was very, very good, but when she was bad, she was horrid.**_

**Chapter 18 Thank Yous:**

**Kai-Qui – I love reading your reviews, no worries in delay! Is your new guy a cutie? If he steps outta line let me know, I'll send the brothers after him for you! ;-)**

**Porcelain Destiny – You're lovely, thanks for your kind words about my grandmother. Also, I can't stop giggling ever time I imagine what Logan's face might look like if he heard Victor call him Badger. Glad you liked it!**

**Shorty-2721 – Thanks Stephanie, you're a sweetheart. Also, love your enthusiasm, I'm getting all hyped up from it!**

**My Beautiful Ending – I love reading your reviews and how you always specifically mention parts you liked, it's inspiring! I'm excited about this chapter, hope you like it too, baby cakes!**

**chrissyissy – Thanks so much for your thoughts, I really appreciate it. Glad you liked the chapter too, I can't disappoint my Chrissy! XD**

**bananafreak97 – Hurray! I love it when readers are happy! Here's your cupcake! ;-)**

**booksmartblonde333 – Good! I'm relieved the last chapter went over well. I sooo appreciate all your comments, blondie babe o' mine!**

**wolviegurl – I'm glad you liked that bit about the letter, I wasn't sure if everyone hadn't forgotten about it by now! Thanks for another fabulous review, darlin!**

**HP – Yay! Thanks for reading and reviewing, you're a doll!**

**midnight84118 – Thanks, I'm happy you liked it! Hope this chappie is okay!**

**GhostAuthor – LOL, glad you laughed. I did too. ;-) Thanks for reviewing, sweetness!**

**QuirkyCullen – I'm sorry for the delay, my lovely Quirky. But I am so happy you liked the last chappie, I was worried about it! Until next time!**

**ROGUEFURY – Yummy. Victor in tight shorts and a white t-shirt. *Drool* LOL, sorry. Thanks for your sympathies, she's doing a little better but one minute I'm 6 years old and the next I'm 26 again to her.**

**Vaugn Tyler – Glad you liked it, thanks for reviewing, here's your cupcake! ;-)**


	21. 20 Yes, Yes He Is

**A/N: _Dialogue that is centered, italicized, bold and begins and ends with * indicates a flashback and a direct quote from my other story "The Feral." _**

**'Cause remember folks, this is a sequel! Also, I own nada.**

Chapter 20

Yes, Yes He Is

While Creed was busy making clear to Magneto and Mystique _the way things were going to be_, Lupa was faced with a task she was not entirely looking forward to: speaking to Jimmy about her relationship with his brother. Not that she was ashamed of her mate or their being together, but she was ashamed of having kept it from a man who was effectively her brother-in-law as well as a dear friend. On top of that feeling of shame, the Wolf Girl was nervous about his reaction to the news as well as her own long silence on the matter.

There were so many questions she had, what if he didn't believe her, think she'd been driven mad by years of torture and isolation? If he did believe her, would he be angry at her for keeping it a secret from him? Might he resent her once he learned she was the mate of a man he disliked and had such a complicated, muddled history with? Or he could think she wasn't good enough for his newly discovered brother, her being uneducated and ignorant of so many things...

Lupa was well aware of her own deficiencies and inadequacies. That she was pathetically naïve of the outside world, having been raised essentially in captivity like a zoo animal and then spending decades as a laboratory experiment. True, she could speak more than a few European languages thanks to generations of traveling with the Gypsies. And she was popular with her students, having a talent for storytelling that enthralled the teenagers so much they didn't realize they were actually learning something while listening. But when the Wolf Girl compared that to what she lacked, it made her want to cry sometimes. She didn't know how to drive a car. How to ride a bike. She'd never used a computer or even a telephone. She couldn't read or write in any language. She'd never been to a shopping mall or a restaurant. Never went to school or a baseball game or out on a date. Rogue had had to teach her to use basic household appliances like the microwave, the television, even the shower and bathtub. What a refrigerator was for. The way the Professor's elevator worked. How to tie the laces on her borrowed shoes.

Perhaps, the Lupa acknowledge to herself, she was the one with the most doubts of her own value.

Jimmy and Lupa had been walking from the Brotherhood's campfire to the X-Men's while the female feral had been thinking. They were halfway there, at the darkest part of their journey between the light of the two fires, when she finished her inner monologue. Stopping, she turned to him, "Logan, will you take a short walk with me? I would like to speak to you about something if that is alright with you."

The Wolverine looked down at the petite woman, her silver eyes piercing in the night. "'Course, darlin'. Let's go," he smiled and gently placed his large hand at the small of her back, steering her towards a section of trees to their left.

They kept walking once in the copse, both quiet and just enjoying the clean air and starry sky. Logan was content to remain silent, letting her set the place of their conversation having scented her nervousness. Finally she spoke, "I need to tell you something that I should have told you much earlier. I know I should not have waited and for that, I ask your forgiveness... Some of what I need to tell to you will be difficult for me to speak of, which is part of the reason I have remained quiet for so long, so I ask that you keep silent until I am finished. I want to be able to explain everything properly to you and not, not, muck it up. Will you do this for me, James? Please?"

Logan could almost taste the honesty and anxiety radiating from her, it practically saturated the air around them. She looked so desperately earnest and damned hopeful that the Wolverine doubted anyone would have been able to say 'No' to her right then. "Sure, darlin'. Whatever you need."

"Thank you, Jimmy." Lupa released a deep sigh of relief and gratitude and made her way over to a fallen tree trunk. Sitting down on it, she patted the spot next to her, gesturing for Logan to join her. Once he complied, straddling the log to face her head on, she began her story.

"I know I have already told you of how I met you and your brother, but I did not tell you everything, all the details... I, I had been in captivity for I think perhaps five or six months when one night, too early for it to be the usual security check, my door opened. They were keeping me in a bare room inside wire cage, one made for a dog, though to be fair, a large dog... A cage within a cage... I had my head down when the door opened but I could hear someone enter my cell, a stranger, a New Man. Someone else come to play with me, I thought. I refused to lift my head and look at him, he was another one of _Them – _the men in white coats, the men with red hands... Then he asked me my name."

_*** 'What's yer name, frail?' ***_

"Not a single one of Them had ever asked my name before. I made the New Man tell me his – I had learned not to give without taking first."

_*** 'What is yours?' ***_

"When I looked up, saw his face, I knew my life was forever changed. That everything I'd ever known was going to be different now because of this one man. A man I'd never known before, but one that I could feel I was bonded to, like the chain between handcuffs. And I believe...I believe he knew as well."

_*** '**__**I don't like other people touchin' what belongs ta **__**me**__**. You belong ta me. Yer my mate. MINE.' ***_

_**...**_

_*** 'I do not know why, or how it happened, but I do know that I am yours. I can feel it somehow... And you, Victor, you are mine.' ***_

"He immediately began to plan how to break me out, despite the fact he worked for the same men who held me captive. Men his brother worked for too."

_*** 'I'm gonna to get ya out, frail. Gotta do it right though. Gotta have a plan first. Think ya can stay alive fer a bit longer?' ***_

"There was another man, a mutant by the name of Dukes. He had been part of the team that first captured me in the Russian wilds. For some reason, he took it upon himself to take care of me in his own way. He snuck me food and water, asked me about my life like I were a real person. Told to me about his romantic troubles and begged for love advice, as if I knew anything about that..." Lupa smiled fondly at old memories, her eyes staring past Logan's shoulder. She wondered where Fred was now...

"By some quirk of fate, it turned out that the very night the New Man came into my cell, Dukes decided to ask the New Man's brother for help in my escape. The two of them came to my cell not long after the stranger and I began speaking."

_*** 'What're ya doin' here, Runt?' ***_

_*** 'Is she as bad off as Dukes says, Vic?' ***_

"The New Man introduced me to his brother and said that he and Dukes would aide us in my escape."

_*** 'Jimmy's my little brother. He'll help us. Won'tcha Runt?' ***_

"The next night, once the white coats locked me back up after a particularly...difficult session in the lab, the brothers and Dukes met up in my cell and spent hours going over ways for me to get out," again Lupa smiled, this time with a distant look on her face. She was completely lost in the past. "Arguing in my cell over their different ideas like spoiled school children... I had fallen asleep in the corner and something woke me. It was you. You were laying your coat over me, while Victor and Dukes continued to bicker."

_*** 'Better?' ***_

_*** 'Yes, thank you, Jimmy. I have been feeling the cold much, recently.' ***_

"I think you were trying to make up for Victor, that he had not thought of it first," Lupa looked into Logan's eyes and saw the silent question: why should Creed have thought of covering her up before he did?

"You were always doing such things for him, and, and he for you. Looking out for one another. Making up for each others mistakes or shortcomings."

_*** 'Jimmy Runt, where – where is Victor?' ***_

_*** 'He's uh, not here. He's gone – working on keepin' Stryker offa our trail. 'M sorry he didn't tell ya... But when he's sure you're safe, we're all gonna meet up again. He'll be back, darlin', promise.' ***_

"Little things, duties, I think you felt were his responsibility...as my mate."

"_Your mate?_" Logan sputtered out, shocked into numbness.

"Yes, my mate. I am sorry for not telling you sooner, but I, I did not know how. When you first came to the mansion, you recognized me, yet you did not _know_ me or remember anything...I was afraid. I was afraid that if I told you or even Xavier, neither of you would not believe me, that you would think I had run mad. That you and he would not understand how I could be connected to a man I had known so briefly. _Need_ a man I had not seen for over 25 years."

She paused and nearly whispered her next words, "Then later, I was afraid that you would not think I was worthy of Victor, this wonderful man I had been telling you about. That you might think I was trying to take him away from you before you had even found him – met him – again. When I saw that you knew of him, that you had met before and...did not suit, I worried you would not care for me anymore as I was tied to a man you despised."

It was quiet now, only the sound of wind rustling through leaves could be heard. Lupa could not take the silence anymore, she was desperate to get a reaction – any reaction – from Logan.

"I am so sorry, Jimmy, so sorry for keeping this from you. I know I should have told you right away. I was a coward. Are you, are you very angry with me?" The Wolf Girl's silver eyes were somehow simultaneously heavy with guilt and filled with hope as the words burst from her lips.

But Logan did not hear her question, his mind was racing with several of his own. "What – what the hell does that even _mean_ that he's your mate? And how the hell could you not tell me 'bout this sooner? He's my goddamn brother!"

He jumped up from the log and began pacing the forest floor in front of Lupa. Lost in anger and disappointment, he was not paying attention to what he was saying or how she was reacting. Conveniently, he'd also forgotten the meeting just days ago when Charles had informed everyone it seemed very likely Victor and Lupa were in fact feral mates. Her verbal confirmation was still a shock nonetheless, and this righteous anger felt oh so good.

"How could you keep this from me? How could you _be_ with him? Don't you know what he's _done_? What he _is_? He's a monster, a fuckin' animal! He's as likely to kill you as he is ta say hello! You can't possibly _love_ him fer god's sake! … Did he threaten you? Hurt you? 'Cause Chuck an' I, we could help you if he did. Get you away from him-"

"NO!" Lupa cried out fiercely. "Stop it, Jimmy! Just stop it! He has not threatened me or hurt me. He is _not_ a monster and yes, he has told me of his past – all of it. I am his mate and he is mine. I love him. There is nothing else to say."

Logan scoffed, "He's not capable of love. Yer foolin' yourself. I thought you were smarter than that, Lupa."

He had to look away from her face then, he couldn't watch the tears fall from her watery eyes. He knew he was causing her pain with his words, but they seemed to jump out of his mouth like men off a burning boat, eager and desperate. Wolverine's sadness and bruised ego over his perceived rejection could only manifest in embarrassed anger and he lashed out at the only person in range. The person who had unknowingly and inadvertently hurt him: Lupa.

She was quiet only for moment before speaking again, this time in a steadier, harder voice. "Yes. Yes, he is. He loves you. He has loved you since the day you were born. He took care of you when you both were orphaned and alone. He raised you and protected you and stayed by your side throughout all the decades and all the wars. He is capable, James. He can love."

"And does he love _you_?" Logan snapped harshly in frustration, still not able to let go of his own pain. Wanting to strike out at someone, anyone, for being foolish enough to hope he could have a chance with this woman, with any woman really. He told himself that to dream about a future when you couldn't remember your past was goddamn stupid.

"I do not pretend to know the answer that question. He has never said it, if that is what you are asking."

"He's usin' you an' you're letting him! He'll throw you away like a piece of trash when he's gotten what he wants." Wolverine was nearly shouting now, his face ugly in his bitterness. He wasn't thinking clearly either, just letting out his pain. With each word he stalked closer and closer to the Wolf Girl, not hearing himself or seeing the hurt he was causing Lupa, "He'll _fuck_ you like jus' another one of his whores an' then-"

Wolverine's stream of vicious words was interrupted when he was tackled from the side, knocking the wind from him and scattering his wits. Before he could collect himself, his attacker began punching him with powerful, heavy fists. When Logan's ears stopped ringing and he could breathe again, he picked up his attacker's voice snarling at him. It was Victor.

"Mother fuckin' runt bastard! Should kill ya right now! Never leavin' ya alone with her again! If ya touched her I'll rip yer balls off an' give 'em ta her fer earrings!" Every proclamation was followed by another blow to Logan's face, snapping his head back and forth like a rag doll.

Absent mindedly, Logan could also hear another voice nearby. Lupa, it was Lupa.

"Victor, stop! Please stop! He didn't hurt me, I promise! Please, _p__rietene_,* stop!"

Eventually it seemed her pleas broke through Sabertooth's primal rage. He landed one last solid hit to Wolverine's smashed face and looked up at his panicked and crying mate. For a moment, Creed was at a loss, what the fuck was he going to do now? He wasn't sure if she would be angry with him or scared of him after that territorial display. But honestly, the feline feral hadn't been able to help himself. With his enhanced hearing, he'd heard his brother's raised voice on his walk back to the X-Men's campfire after his chat with Erik and Raven. Victor hadn't been too worried at first, the Runt's voice just sounded surprised. But seconds later his tone turned darker, accusing, angry. Sabertooth hadn't wasted any time and followed the scent trail to the cluster of trees Jimmy and his Lupa were in.

He spotted them just as the Runt was approaching her where she sat on a fallen log, cruel words spilling from his mouth as tears spilled from her eyes. Creed did _not_ like the aggressive posture of the Wolverine, it was almost threatening as he stepped ever closer to Lupa. Despite the fact a little voice in the back of Victor's head said that Logan wasn't exactly calling Lupa a whore, the appearance of that word nonetheless struck a vengeful chord inside the man. No one would say such things to her. Not to his mate, his Lupa. She was **not **a whore and he'd beat the living shit out of anyone who said that word in her presence, let alone say it to her face.

_That's_ when he'd tackled his younger brother and he hadn't stopped hitting Jimmy until his girl's sweet voice broke through his rage.

Finally Victor stood and moved away from his nearly unconscious brother who remained sprawled on the ground, perhaps 20 feet from where he'd been standing seconds ago. Halting within a few strides of where Lupa stood in front of a fallen tree, he stared down at her. Shit, sometimes he forgot how fuckin' small she was. Barely came up to his shoulder... He wondered what she'd do now... Just as this thought slipped into his mind, the Wolf Girl stumbled backwards and practically collapsed onto the log.

"I'm so sorry, Victor. I'm so sorry," she mumbled, folding up into herself. Feeling sick with guilt she could only stare at the ground shaking her head back and forth slowly, long glorious curls hiding her face.

Sabertooth wasn't happy. His mate was upset – near cryin' – and now for some fucked up reason she was apologizing, as if _she'd_ done something wrong! Determined to find the cause of her distress, he approached her slowly and went down on one knee in front of her, they were nearly the same height now. Using one clawed finger to lift her chin, he saw she'd shut her eyes, a very childlike gesture which, strangely, warmed the beast within him. "Look at me, angel," Victor purred.

After a moment, Lupa opened her starry eyes, misery in her gaze. "Why're ya sorry?" He asked.

"I've ruined everything. I've come between you and your brother, I've made you both fight-"

"We always fight," he countered.

"Not like this."

"Worse."

She suddenly dropped to her knees before him and pressed herself against his muscular chest. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck while in surprise he caught her by the waist with clawed hands. "But he hates me now," Lupa whispered against his throat.

Creed snorted but turned a little, twisting her body with his to look over his shoulder at his felled brother. "You don't hate her, now do ya, Runt?"

Logan grunted and moaned a bit. Victor swung back around and smirked in satisfaction. "See? Jimmy don't hate ya. He's jus' bein' an asshole as per fuckin' usual – ya get used ta it." He leaned down and gave Lupa a fierce kiss, nipping her neck with his fangs before reluctantly drawing back. "You an' me are gonna take a walk inna minute an' yer gonna tell me exactly jus' what happened before I showed up. Gotta talk ta the Runt first, though."

Reluctantly releasing his grip around Lupa's waist, Sabertooth stood. A flash of mischief in his lake blue eyes was her only warning before he smacked her on the ass once before walking back over to Wolverine. Lupa stayed where she was, unsure of her feelings toward Jimmy at the moment. The taller feral squatted next to his brother's head. The younger was still flat on his back, healing, looked to be regrowing some teeth right now. His eyes were swollen nearly shut but had healed enough for him to see Victor's lips move as the larger feral spoke. "Once yer healed, go back ta the campsite an' keep watch. We'll be back soon an' I'll relieve ya halfway through the night. This little incident is gonna stay between you, me an' my girl. Ya understand?"

Logan nodded once. He knew he'd been totally fucking out of line. Shame and guilt and regret were already flooding his system.

"Good. We both know ya deserved that... Now listen good, little brother, 'cause this here's the important part. Never speak to my mate like that again, an' never get in her face like that again. _Never_, Jimmy Runt. _Never_."

As Victor led Lupa away, deeper into the forest, not one of the three ferals stopped to consider exactly _how_ Logan knew his brother used to fuck whores...

oOo

*_**Prietene**_ **= Mate**

**A/N: OK, sorry if it's not exactly a plot enhancing chapter, but the three of them did need to hash this shit out. Next chapter will contain a LEMON involving Victor and Lupa, just as a heads up for everyone. The poll was unanimously in favor of a sex scene, so get ready. Also, weird question, but how, um, _detailed_ do you want me to be with it? **

**oOo**

**Also, check out my friend Porcelain Destiny's wonderful story "SheWolf." It's a Wolverine/OC story and actually has a brief (very cool) mention of Lupa! *Squee!* Lupa's crossed over! XD **

**SHEWOLF: www (dot) fanfiction (dot) net/s/6244874/1/ **

**oOo**

**PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! Any comments, suggestions, advice or ideas (which you'll be credited for if I use) are welcome! **

**Chapter 19 Thank Yous:**

**Vaughn Tyler – Why thank you! XD**

**bananafreak97 – Would you like a banana cupcake this time? I'll pull some strings for you, but don't tell anyone else, OK? Thanks. ;-)**

**booksmartblonde333 – I know, I get all smiley and swoony and sighy when he's like that too. And hell, everyone should have a healthy fantasy life, right? ;-)**

**HP – Yay! I liked the nursery rhyme bit a lot, I'm glad someone else did too. Thanks for reviewing again, I appreciate it!**

**GhostAuthor – *Gasp!* Forgotten? Forgotten _you_? Never! I may be late, but I'll get it out eventually. Thanks for reviewing again, love hearing from you!**

**chrissyissy – OMG, I'm such a Rogan fan! Did you vote in my profile poll for them to get together? Right now it's 4 to 5 that they stay just friends. But I do have an idea if the Rogan voters win... Thanks for another sweet review, babe!**

**shorty-2721 – Such a great review, it made me laugh, thank you! I'm glad you liked the description of Vic's eyes, I liked it too, myself. ;-) You're wonderful, short stuff!**

**moony – I know, I get all swoony when he gets protective...*Sigh*... Thanks for the review!**

**QuirkyCullen – Aw, man, you write such sweet reviews! I always read them and get all smiley after! XD I've actually reedited the first 10 or so chapters of "The Feral," and plan on finishing the rest when I have time. Clean it up some more. Anyhoo, you're an absolute love, love!**

**My Beautiful Ending – LOL, I love reading your reviews, they're so awesome and always make me smile! So thanks for that (and the gushing which is doing wonders for my ego). I was a little worried people wouldn't like Victor rescuing Rogue so thanks again, doll face!**

**wolviegurl – Whew! I was concerned that some people wouldn't like how nice Victor is being to Rogue, but I figure if she's important to Lupa then she'd be important to him too. Plus I just love Rogue, she rocks. You rock for reviewing though, so thanks! ;-)**

**Porcelain Destiny – I'm glad you liked the not too detailed recounting of some of the scenes from X2, I hoped I wasn't being too brief with them. Loved the latest chapter of yours, by the way, really great job! Thanks for reviewing, I love reading them!**

**ROGUEFURY – So glad you liked the last chapter, I was pretty pleased with it which is unusual for me. I'm so happy that you like the combination of X2 canon and my own plot line, I was worried it wouldn't go over well. Thanks for another wonderful review, darlin'!**


	22. 21 Clothes, Clovers and Moss

**A/N: I figured I better put this up soon or else the death threats would start to pile up. OK, so this is pretty much the Lemon Chapter, there's not too much plot development but then again it's not like just SEX SEX SEX either. Sorry it's short though.**

**Per a few requests, I've put xOx at the beginning and end of the lemon in this chapter as a heads up to anyone who'd prefer not to read a sex scene. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to be writing graphic smut but there will be descriptions of naughty things. So if you don't want to read any details, just stop at the xOx and pick up when you see xOx** **again.**

* * *

Chapter 21

Clothes, Clovers and Moss

They'd been walking for perhaps five minutes, going deeper into the woods before Victor stopped at the opening of a small meadow. He surveyed the grassy space briefly before deciding it far enough from the others as well as being safely empty. He tightened his grip on Lupa's hand and entered the clearing, pulling her to a spot carpeted with clovers and moss below the branches of a large oak. Sitting beneath the ancient tree, neither feral said anything, both enjoying the symphony of the forest at night for a while. Their enhanced senses made them all the more appreciative of their surroundings. The soft scent of wild flowers, the relaxing chirping of crickets, the cool caress of an occasional breeze against their faces.

When it seemed right, Lupa began to recount her talk with Logan. How she'd explained she was mated to his brother, how he'd become angry, unreasonable and accusing. How Jimmy had thought she was with Victor because he threatened her, and upon hearing her denials, demanded to know how she could stay with such a man. A man who was incapable of love. That was the first time he saw anger on Lupa's face, she hadn't been angry at any other point during her retelling, but now she was, fiercely so. He wondered if this is how she might look – flushed and a little wild – and sound – passionate and genuine – when he finally claimed her body. She said that she'd told Logan he was wrong, that Victor was capable, because at the very least he loved his brother. That nothing mattered beyond the fact that _she_ loved _him_. She deflated quickly though, when she spoke of how the Runt mocked her, thrown her love for Victor back in her face.

How he'd said she was foolishly letting herself be used and that Sabertooth would toss her out like trash when he was done with her. Like some whore. The Wolf Girl felt numb about the entire mess by the time she finished her accounting. Creed had been quiet the entire time, his eyes darkening and nails lengthening in rage periodically as he listened, but he had kept his peace.

"Yer not a whore," was the first thing out of his mouth. "Yer not trash. An' I ain't gonna treat ya like ya are, baby girl. I'll never throw ya away. Never."

**xOx**

Lupa looked up at him and smiled gently, her eyes shining like the stars above them, "I know."

She slowly leaned forward and pressed her lips against his, each looking straight at the other. She gave him a soft, almost chaste kiss, a thank you as well as reaffirmation of trust. When her dark lashes fluttered shut, Victor took charge, pulling her into his embrace and slipping his tongue into her mouth. After a few minutes in that vein, Victor slowly laid her down on the soft ground, hovering above her as they continued to kiss.

Gently, Victor pulled back a few inches. "I want you, baby girl. I want you right now," he purred huskily, grinding his lower body against hers, letting her feel how hard she'd made him.

"Then take me," Lupa whispered, staring straight into his heated gaze. She was certainly nervous, a little apprehensive and even a bit anxious, this was her first time after all, but the overwhelming sensation within her was certainty. This was right, she could feel it.

They continued to kiss passionately as Victor slowly undressed his beautiful mate, savoring every glimpse of naked skin. Lupa was enjoying herself too as she disrobed him, marveling at his thick muscles and the hair on his chest, arms and legs. They ran their hands up and down each others bodies, memorizing and worshiping each curve and every line. When they were both completely naked, laying on a blanket of their discarded clothes, clovers and moss, the Wolf Girl felt her anxiety surface again, what if she wasn't good at this? What if she disappointed him?

Victor seemed to pick up on her worries and reassuringly rumbled out, "Mine," over and over again as he licked and nipped and kissed every inch of her. When her scent sweetened again he caught his angel's silver eyes, asking silent permission to enter her body. She nodded without hesitation, her pink lips parted as she panted quietly. He slipped inside of her and growled at the delicious tight heat of her body.

Lupa only whimpered a bit when he broke through her hymen and Sabertooth found himself pleased the pain his mate suffered was minimal and brief. He let her adjust to his invasion for a few moments and when she nodded, slowly began to pump in and out of her. He couldn't help the deep growling purr that seemed to burst from his chest as he began to go faster, harder, deeper. And Lupa's throaty moans and keening whimpers only encouraged him. It didn't take long for his Wolf Girl to peak, all of her muscles tightened up at once and she cried out, her scent absolutely intoxicating. Victor followed closely behind and announced his completion with a wild roar and a final, fierce thrust of his hips. "_**MINE!**_"

**xOx**

Creed and his inner beast were both completely sated now, each immensely satisfied knowing their seed lay in Lupa's womb. He gathered his angel close to his warm body and they lay there on their backs, staring up at the stars and breathing hard. Lupa wore a gentle, happy smile as she held her mate's hand. Victor's own lips did not smile. But his eyes did.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry, I had no time to individual shout outs, I'll post them next chapter, which is already part way written! Please review, let me know how I did!** **Oh, and still don't own the X-Men so please don't sue me a penniless fanfic writer!**


	23. 22 Five Digits and a Plane Ride

Chapter 22

Five Digits and a Plane Ride

"I still don't like it. He's gonna end up hurtin' her," Wolverine pronounced.

"Tell me, Logan, have you not seen how...different he is with her?" Ororo questioned gently from her spot across the campfire, truly curious to hear his answer.

For the last hour or so he'd been pacing back and forth, complaining in various degrees about Lupa and Victor's relationship. When the feral had returned to the X-Men's camp, without Lupa, (whom been in his company beforehand), Storm had noticed he was in a foul mood. She figured the dirt and bloodstains on his clothing might have something to do with his current disposition. The mutant most likely had lost in a scuffle against his brother and was now venting his grievances in the man's absence. The fact that Lupa was absent _with_ _Creed_ (and the length of said absence), most likely was not helping matters either.

"What are you talkin' about, 'Ro?"

Now Rogue piped up from her spot next to her teacher, "Come on, sugah. You're tellin' me yah never noticed how he acts around her? How he always keeps real close tah her, almost guardin' over her like? An' if she's not next tah him, he'll watch her, follow her with his eyes, makin' sure she's OK."

Just Rogue and Storm now remained at the fire with Logan, only they had the patience to deal with the Wolverine's ranting. Bobby and John had retreated to their tent almost as soon as the pissed off feral appeared and Jean followed their example not long after. The boys had been uncomfortable with the topic at hand, while Jean was irritated by it. The doctor made a grand exit to the tent she shared with Ororo after telling Logan he was simply jealous and that he should get a grip. The Canadian really didn't like hearing _that_ theory and spent the next few minutes swearing up and down he wasn't jealous, that it just wasn't a good idea for Lupa to be involved with a man like Sabertooth. Of course everyone knew it was bullshit. The Wolverine wanted the Wolf Girl, but the Wolf Girl didn't want him. She didn't even seem to notice that he wanted her, either.

"I have too have observed that Lupa and he are nearly always within arms reach of one another whenever they can help it. They both seem to be most at ease when they are touching. Have you not heard the difference in his very voice when he speaks to _her_ versus the rest of us?" The weather goddess queried rhetorically. "Such little things can be very revealing, Logan."

"Yeah," Marie jumped in again. "When he talks tah her, he's quieter than with everybody else, softer like. Gentler. Logan...I really think everything's OK. I know you're worried but I've been watchin' him. Watchin' _them_, an' I think, I think Victor's Lupa's splitapart." The southerner announced seriously, her face a little scrunched up in concentration.

"Her 'splitapart?'" Wolverine asked, feeling somewhat lost.

"It's somethin' my grandmama used tah say. She said that some people were born missin' apart of themselves, that their soul had been torn in half and put intah two different bodies. One soul split apart. I think Victor and Lupa are splitaparts," Rogue finished.

"Remember Logan, the Professor did say he was fairly certain Lupa and Victor are mates. And that as far as he knows, such a thing is part of being a feral. I do not think there is much of a choice for either of them in this matter... Thus far, Mr. Creed has only looked out for Lupa's best interests. He is not quite the rampaging monster the rumors paint him to be, either. If he was, we'd all be dead right now, our bodies roasting over a fire for his dinner as that one story went," Storm pointed out. "I do not pretend that if it were not for our connection to Lupa, he would be helping us, but should it not count for something that he is? Even if it's only because of her?"

Logan stayed quiet, thinking it over.

"I hope she is changing him, in perhaps small, yet significant ways. But she is at least getting him to show a more civilized side. Take for example his behavior towards Rogue. He has protected her because she is important to Lupa," the weather goddess pointed out.

"He fuckin' kidnapped her less than a year ago, 'Ro!"

"Yes. He did. And we also know he did it in exchange for information on Lupa's whereabouts. That certainly does not justify his actions against Rogue, but it does explain his motivations behind them. Now that Lupa is safe, he is unlikely to kidnap her again."

The girl in question couldn't suppress an amused grin at the slight teasing tone in Storm's voice. Then Ororo turned serious again, "He is also your brother and obviously very important to Lupa who is your friend. As Rogue said, if we wish to keep Lupa in our lives, we may have to accept Victor in hers."

"Don't mean I have to like it, now does it?" Logan coldly asked. "Forget it. I'm gonna walk a 50 yard perimeter, make sure there aren't any soldiers sneakin' up on us." And with that, Wolverine stalked away from the campfire, leaving Rogue and Storm behind. He was too angry and hurt and confused to talk about all of it anymore.

The student and teacher kept their own council for several minutes, just listening to the night and waiting for their three comrades to return, Logan, Lupa and Victor. Finally the younger of the two broke the silence, "Yah know, when Logan first came back after the Professah called him tah help with Lupa, I was kind of hoping that they would get _together_, yah know? And maybe we'd be something like a family. But in a way, I'm – I'm glad she's with Victor. Not that I'm glad Logan's upset, it's just...I know Victor will always keep her safe. He won't let anything bad happened tah her again... Sometimes it feels like he could do it by just _willing_ it be, yah know?" The teenager smiled a little, not looking at her teacher who by now was looking at her.

"I know Logan could protect her too, he could look after her just as good, maybe even better in a lot of ways. But somehow, with Victor, I feel like she's almost got a better chance 'cause I don't think there's anything in this world he wouldn't do tah keep her safe or get her back if somehow she was taken from him. And..I think Victor needs her, _really needs her_, more than Logan does. Because, yeah, Logan's lost a lot, a whole lot, an' that's, that's just awful. What he's been through is sad an' horrible an' unfair...but he doesn't remember what he lost. What he had before waking up with a blank slate. Victor remembers exactly what he had and exactly what – and who – he lost. What was _taken_ from him. He would probably kill every person in North America by hand, one by one, if it would guarantee she'd never be captured by a lab again, never be hurt again... So, I'm kind of glad she's with Victor, even if he's not Logan," Rogue finished.

oOo

Victor and Lupa returned to the X-Men's campsite not long after Logan stomped off to walk the perimeter. The three women spoke for a few minutes before Storm retired to her tent, advising the teenager to do the same soon. Instead Rogue, Lupa and Victor sat around the fire for a bit longer, just enjoying the contrast of the delicious warmth of the flames and crisp night air.

"Rogue, where are you sleeping tonight?" Lupa asked quietly, her smoky, exotically accented voice beautifully harmonizing with the noises of the wilderness at night. Even a fellow European would have been hard pressed to determine her origins when she spoke English. At one moment the Wolf Girl's might sound Romanian, then her inflection would morph into something more like that of a Ukrainian. Or a Serb. A Pole. A Hungarian. And oddly enough, a few specific words always had a distinctly British influence. 'Schedule' was '_sh_ed-u-all.' Instead of saying 'garbage,' she'd say 'rubbish.' 'Mum' instead of 'mom.'

"Harley's gonna stay in our tent. I'll take the spot closest to the entrance, then you, then the kid," Victor answered roughly before Marie could.

"OK," the young woman replied smiling, liking her new nickname. Really a nickname of a nickname, shortening 'Harlequin' to 'Harley.'

"Good, shall we head off to bed then, Rogue? Are you going to wait up for Jimmy Runt, _mulţumesc_?*" Lupa asked her mate affectionately. He was certainly awkward at displaying affection at times (demonstrated by apparently believing a brawl was an excellent form of fraternal bonding), but at least he was trying with the untouchable girl. Him laying out their sleeping arrangement might have sounded highhanded and controlling, but the Wolf Girl recognized it for what it truly was: protection. He placed himself in front of her and Rogue, taking the most vulnerable spot by the tent flap where any attack would likely come from.

"Yeah, he should be back soon from checkin' the perimeter. I'll wait 'til he gets back then turn in, my shift doesn't start fer another few hours." Creed was staring intently at his angel the whole time he spoke, with what might be mistaken for an almost sinister look in his darkening eyes. In actuality, Sabertooth was recalling exactly how his mate had sounded, how she'd smelled and most importantly how she'd _felt_ when he'd claimed her as his own not very long ago. Being connected to her like that had been the closest thing to heaven the animal who'd dreamt he was a man ever thought he'd experience.

And she was _**his**_. Utterly and completely his.

Lupa was seemingly able to read her mate's mind and blushed prettily under the heat of Victor's stare. His confident smirk and the all too knowing look in his eyes may have helped her along, too. Sabertooth made sure to steal a savoring kiss from his tempting mate before she left.

A couple minutes after his mate and her adopted cub crawled into their sleeping bags, Logan returned to the campsite. Neither man acknowledged or referred to what had happened between them hours earlier. Choosing instead to ignore the giant pink elephant dancing on the peripherals of their minds, at least for now. Instead they spoke of the layout of Alkali Lake base, the impending opportunity to face Stryker again, the possibility of Magneto and Mystique betraying them, as well as a few contingency plans. The shit between them could wait until all this was over with.

After their talk, Creed caught a couple hours sleep in the tent, holding his angel as close to his body as possible, just listening to his little pack breathe. When Logan's shift was over, the brothers switched places, Victor on watch and Wolverine resting. Though, before he left the tent, Sabertooth made sure the Runt's sleeping bag was several feet away from Lupa's.

oOo

Luckily the night passed without disturbance and all the X-Men rose early, readying for their impending rescue mission. After a quick (and uncomfortable) breakfast, the group of eight made their way to the Blackbird, readying the jet for the long flight to Alkali Lake. While Ororo and Jean set up in the cockpit, Lupa and the students sat in their seats, the female feral telling the teenagers stories to distract them from their nervousness. The brothers stood as silent sentries outside, waiting for Erik and Raven to appear.

Finally, the Brotherhood members arrived and soon after the jet was in the air en route to Alkali Lake. No one spoke for a long time, everyone lost in their own thoughts. But eventually the metal-manipulator and shape-shifter began whispering back and forth and stealing glances at their former victim. Rogue, having long harbored resentment and anger at the two for her near martyrdom, stared back at them harshly. They felt the heat of her gaze from several feet away and smiled at one another devilishly.

"We love what you've done with your hair, Rogue," Magneto mocked cruelly, an icy cool smile on his face. Mystique grinned at the girl she would have willingly seen die and laughed a little, enjoying the look on the teen's face.

The girl in question glared at her attempted murderers, both sitting directly across from her, not five feet away. She very close to ripping her gloves off and draining each of them dry, damn the consequences. But instead, some of Erik's darkest memories floated to the front of her mind like bubbles underwater. Five numbers kept repeating themselves over and over again in her head, the voice that recited them and the memories they conjured so much more cruel than her tormentors could ever be. She did not notice, but all three ferals were growling, deep down in their chests on her behalf, ready to defend her if necessary. Her next words stopped them though.

"_Gefällt es dir? Es ist nicht das Letzte, was du mir gabst,_ Max." Rogue spoke in the only language Erik Lehnsherr despised. The teenager's voice was calm, even, as if she was only making polite conversation with a new acquaintance. Not speaking to a man who had given her his own nightmares and nearly 70 years of memories in technicolor, surround sound, excruciating detail.

The usually collected man's face had lost all color at her use of the name he'd left behind him, buried with the ashes of his family and millions of others. No one knew that name anymore, not even Charles. Everyone that had was dead. But this girl did.

After letting the stunned old man take in her words, and the implications behind them, she continued in the guttural language."_Erinnerst du dich an neun, acht, zwei, acht, acht? Ich tue es._"

Magneto felt the blood in his veins freeze, chilling him all the way to his core. With those three sentences, those five numbers, one girl had affected the mutant supremacist more deeply than any physical blow Logan or Victor could have scored on her behalf.

Everyone was silent, mostly from shock or confusion.

"Come, Rogue, and sit by me," Lupa called from her seat next to Victor. "I do not want you to get..._dirty_ sitting over there," The brief pause Lupa left in between her words was perfectly and intentionally placed. As was her emphasis on the adjective 'dirty,' which was spoken while she disinterestedly inspected the blue-skinned woman. Somehow the female feral manged to simultaneously convey dignified distaste and dismissive superiority in her expression.

Mystique (understandably) took offense at the Wolf Girl's cleverly discreet insult, though the look of ancient silver eyes did give her momentary hesitation. Nevertheless, she moved to get up from her seat, "Listen here you scarred up, wolf bitch-"

But before the blue-skinned woman could finish her threat, both Victor and Logan were on their feet and growling a low, deep rumble. Raven shut up and sat back down, not willing to take on two male ferals.

Magneto-Erik-Max kept silent the rest of the trip, ashen faced and rubbing his inner forearm, thinking about the five digits tattooed hidden beneath his sleeve. It was only thing he left Auschwitz ever gave him, besides pain and fear.

And apparently, he'd given all of that to someone else.

oOo

**A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! Next chapter's gonna be exciting! Oh, and visit my profile page for a link to my livejournal where I have story art for all my fanfics!**

**A HUGE thank you to Sidina for correcting my German passages, so now those who speak German won't laugh when they read this chapter anymore. Plus, I can now honestly say I have a translator. How cool is that? **

**Rogue's German to English Translation:**

Magneto said: "We love what you've done with your hair, Rogue."

Rogue replies: _"__Gefällt es dir? Es ist nicht das Letzte, was du mir gabst, _Max."

[ Do you like it? It's not the least of what you gave me, Max. ]

"_Erinnerst du dich an neun, acht, zwei, acht, acht? Ich tue es.__" _

[ Do you remember nine, eight, two, eight, eight? I do. ]

**In the comics, Magneto was born Maximus Eisenhardt. He called himself Magnus after Auschwitz's liberation and changed his name again to Erik Lehnsherr when he moved to Israel (where he met Xavier). The six numbers Rogue recited (98288) I picked as the ones tattooed on him in Auschwitz. The specific sequence of numbers I used actually 'belongs' to Holocaust survivor Leon Greenman. **

**Check out below for more info:**

http:/www **(dot) **life **(dot) **com/image/51844250

*_**Mulţumes**__**c**_____**Beloved **


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